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CURRICULUM PLANNING

AND DEVELOPMENT

DIVISION

CSEC English A Resource Booklet

1

Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1

JUNE 2007 ..................................................................................................................................................... 2

SECTION ONE ............................................................................................................................................ 2

SECTION TWO, Comprehension Passage 1 ............................................................................................... 6

SECTION TWO: Comprehension Passage 2 ............................................................................................... 9

JUNE 2010 ................................................................................................................................................... 12

SECTION ONE .......................................................................................................................................... 12

SECTION TWO: Comprehension Passage 1 ............................................................................................. 16


JUNE 2013 ................................................................................................................................................... 22



JUNE 2014 ................................................................................................................................................... 34

SECTION ONE .......................................................................................................................................... 34

JANUARY 2014 ............................................................................................................................................ 38

SECTION ONE .......................................................................................................................................... 38

MODEL ANSWER 2004………………………...……………………………………………..41

CSEC English A Questions and Answers……………………………………………………50

1

Introduction

This package has been prepared to assist you as you prepare for Sections one and two of the Paper

2 CSEC English A examination. Section one focuses on summary writing, while Section Two

presents two Comprehension passages. The following are some general tips on writing summaries

and answering comprehension questions.

Some Tips for Writing a Good Summary

Before writing the summary:

1. Read the instructions carefully.

2. Read the information that you’ve been given to summarise.

3. Underline the main ideas and/or cross out irrelevant details.

(Irrelevant details may include RAIOES (repetitions, anecdotes, illustrations

opinions, examples and statistics) 4. Combine similar ideas where necessary.

When writing the summary:

1. Write down only the main ideas.

2. Use your own words, but not your opinion.

3. Organise your summary in a logical manner using appropriate transitional words and

phrases.

4. Stick to the word limit. (Remember only the words that fall within the word limit will be

read and assessed by the examiner).

5. Write the number of words at the bottom.

After writing the summary:

1. Re-read your work to ensure that you captured the main ideas and that they flow logically.

Some Tips for Answering Comprehension Questions

When answering the questions in the comprehension passage, it is a good idea to follow the

following steps:

STEP I:

Read through the questions which appear at the end of the reading first. Reading the questions

helps in predicting what the selection is about and also assists in providing a mental framework for

you to focus your reading.

STEP II: Read the entire passage.

STEP III: Read one question at a time, find the information in the passage that helps you answer

the question and record your answer in your answer booklet.

2

CARIBBEAN SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION

ENGLISH A

JUNE 2007

SECTION ONE

(Suggested time: 35 minutes)

Read the following extract carefully and then write a summary of it.

Your summary must be in continuous prose, in paragraph form and it must not be more

than 120 words in length. Only the first 120 words of your answer will be read and assessed.

Since the beginning of civilization, they have served as marks of identification, spiritual protection

and decoration. Now at the cusp of another millennium, tattoos and other varieties of body

markings are resurfacing as a popular form of individual self-expression.

Tattoos are timeless and can be as unique as the bearers they adorn. They don’t fade away like

favourite t-shirts, or get lost or broken like school rings. They stay with you forever, until death.

They become a part of you from the day you sit in the artist’s chair, etching your emotions

alongside the needle’s sting, transforming an instant of your life into a symbol for the world to see.

Tattoos and other body markings arrived in the Caribbean with African slaves and indentured

workers from China and India. They were sometimes the only permanent keepsakes of peoples

snatched from their ancestral places. The Caribbean’s original Amerindian inhabitants also used

tattoos to mark spiritual milestones. The Taino of the Northern Caribbean Islands, for instance,

used vegetable dyes to affix images of their guardians onto their skin. These images also indicated

an individual’s lineage, or his or her social position. Each tattoo was both a personal history book

and a mark of belonging.

Over the centuries, however, tattoos and other forms of bodily adornment have mutated,

exchanging religious and cultural significance for individualist associations. Sometimes that mark

of individuality has been confused with rebellion and non-conformity, often alluding to a stain of

bad character. Tattoo-wearers have seemed wild, dangerous, even just plain bad.

But today, tattoos have come full circle. Celebrities, writers, lawyers, housewives, all proudly

display their marks of rebellion. An entirely new perception of the art of tattooing has arisen,

which is more than just a preoccupation with style. The re-discovered form of expression has

spawned an entire sub-culture of individuals among us. They carry this common bond of

distinction through their daily routines. Via the images on their forearms, shoulders, ankles, or

torsos, they connect to each other, announcing to the world that it is OK to be unique and

different.

Adapted from “Pictures made flesh”

Caribbean Beat, July/August 2003

3

COMMENTS CONTENT FROM PASSAGE SUMMARY BY

PARAGRAPH

Since the beginning of civilization, they have

served as marks of identification, spiritual

protection and decoration. Now at the cusp of

another millennium, tattoos and other

varieties of body markings are resurfacing as

a popular form of individual self-expression.

Tattoos have been

around for centuries,

but are once again

becoming a popular

way of expressing

one’s individuality.

The main idea is

found in the first line.

The other sentences

explain why tattoos

are “timeless”.

Tattoos are timeless and can be as

unique as the bearers they adorn. They don’t

fade away like favourite t-shirts, or get lost or

broken like school rings. They stay with you

forever, until death. They become a part of you

from the day you sit in the artist’s chair, etching

your emotions alongside the needle’s sting,

transforming an instant of your life into a symbol

for the world to see.

Tattoos are an

enduring way to show

a person’s

individuality.

Underlined are

various ways in

which tattoos were

used. These can be

classified into

groups.

Be careful to spot

words/phrases that

introduce examples.

Tattoos and other body markings

arrived in the Caribbean with African slaves

and indentured workers from China and

India. (1)They were sometimes the only

permanent keepsakes of peoples snatched from

their ancestral places. (2)The Caribbean’s

original Amerindian inhabitants also used tattoos

to mark spiritual milestones. The Taino of the

Northern Caribbean Islands, for instance, used

vegetable dyes to affix images of their guardians

onto their skin. These images also indicated an

(3) individual’s lineage, or his or her social

position. Each tattoo was both a personal

history book and a mark of belonging.

Tattoos were brought to

the Caribbean from

Africa, China and India,

but the Amerindians

wore them

even before.

They were used for

religious, ethnic and

cultural purposes.

Over the centuries, however, tattoos and

other forms of bodily adornment have

mutated, exchanging religious and cultural

significance for individualist associations.

Sometimes that mark of individuality has been

confused with rebellion and non-conformity,

often alluding to a stain of bad character. Tattoo-wearers have seemed wild, dangerous,

even just plain bad.

Over the years, tattoos

have changed from a

religious or cultural

symbol to a mark of

rebellion and

deviance.

Watch out for long

lists: they may be

examples that have to

be omitted or

categorised.

But today, tattoos have come full circle.

Celebrities, writers, lawyers, housewives, all

proudly display their marks of rebellion. An

entirely new perception of the art of tattooing

has arisen, which is more than just a

preoccupation with style. The re-discovered form

of expression has spawned an entire sub-culture

of individuals among us. They carry this

Today, tattoos are now

being seen as an

acceptable way to

show a person’s

uniqueness.

4

common bond of distinction through their daily

routines. Via the images on their forearms,

shoulders, ankles, or torsos, they connect to each

other, announcing to the world that it is OK to

be unique and different.

5

SAMPLE SUMMARIES

Sample 1

From the beginning of civilization tattoos and other body markings have been marks of

identification, spiritual protection and decoration. Tattoos are permanent markings which vary

greatly and can be personally very revealing. A tattoo is an instant of your life etched forever on

you for the world to see.

Tattoos and other body markings were characteristic of the Amerindians of the Caribbean as well

as of the Africans, Chinese and Indians who came here. For all these people, they had cultural,

spiritual and ethnic significance. Over the centuries, tattoos and other body markings have changed

back and forth from group significance to individual significance, presenting a daily image of

difference and uniqueness.

(112 words)

Sample 2

Tattoos have been around from the beginning of time and were used originally as identification

marks, spiritual protection and decoration, but now they are a popular form of self -expression.

Tattoos are permanent markings on the body which were brought to the Caribbean by slaves from

Africa and indentured labourers from China and India, but were also used earlier by Amerindians.

Over the years tattoos have changed from being positive to negative, often being confused with

rebellion and deviance (non-conformity). Today, tattoos are once again seen as something positive:

they are worn by people from all walks of life, on all parts of their body, saying to the world it's all

right to be different.

(115 words)

Sample 3

Tattoos have been around from the earliest of times for identification as well as for spiritual and

decorative purposes. They are more unique and permanent than other symbols and ornaments and

can be seen by everyone.

Tattoos and other body markings came to the Caribbean from Africa, China and India with slaves

and indentured workers. Indigenous people also used tattoos for spiritual, cultural and personal

reasons and to indicate social status.

Over time, tattoos displayed more personal expressions and were perceived by some to display

antisocial or deviant behaviour. Today, however, tattoos have re-emerged as signs of personal

expression, have gained respectability and are linked and individuality and not merely with style.

(116 words)

Samples sourced from:

Report on Candidates’ Work in the Secondary Education Certificate Examinations

May/June 2007

https://www.cxc.org/SiteAssets/2007SchoolReports/2007JunENGLISHA.pdf

6

SECTION TWO, Comprehension Passage 1


This village appeared to be the end of the world, and it seemed as though each day was a

deliberate effort. Dawn came slowly; the cold air flowing off the sea, the smell of fish and the wet

smell of the nets fading away as the light climbed up the sky. Midday brought a blazing heat that

softened the raw pitch with which the road was made in the village. Cars parked too long out in the

heat sank slowly, tyre-deep, into the soft asphalt, and the hot sun and the heavy air filled with the

smell of cooking drove people into the shade as the torpor settled over the whole village. Evening

saw the huge red ball of the sun dipping across the sky into the sea leaving glorious and stunning

sunsets that coloured the bay red, burning off the hulls of the tankers that tied up against the long

oil-jetty, matching the flares of the oil refinery in the distance as the excess gas was burned off.

The evening smell was that of oil.

There was death in the village, but hat death was not a final horror, it was not the heart-

rending, bitter cry of a sudden and unexpected grief. No! it was the sad, lingering, whimsical death

found in the eyes of broken, old men as they patted young boys on the head and considered the

foolishness of youth; it was the empty death found on abandoned coasts at the end of small islands

dwarfed by the hugeness of the Atlantic; it was the hopelessness of this backwater village, swept

clean of the talent and vitality, missed and ignored by political turmoil sweeping the city,

dependent upon a poor stony earth and dwindling oil. Death here was a vision of a hopeless future.

Noel Woodroffe, “Wing’s Way”. Best West Indian Stories.

Nelson Caribbean, 1982, p. 138.

7

This village appeared to be the end of the world, and it seemed as

though each day was a deliberate effort. Dawn came slowly; the

cold air flowing off the sea, the smell of fish and the wet smell of

the nets fading away as the light climbed up the sky. Midday

brought a blazing heat that softened the raw pitch with which the

road was made in the village. Cars parked too long out in the heat

sank slowly, tyre-deep, into the soft asphalt, and the hot sun and

the heavy air filled with the smell of cooking drove people into the

shade as the torpor settled over the whole village. Evening saw the

huge red ball of the sun dipping across the sky into the sea leaving

glorious and stunning sunsets that coloured the bay red, burning off

the hulls of the tankers that tied up against the long oil-jetty,

matching the flares of the oil refinery in the distance as the excess

gas was burned off. The evening smell was that of oil.

There was death in the village, but that death was not a final horror, it

was not the heart-rending, bitter cry of a sudden and unexpected

grief. No! it was the sad, lingering, whimsical death found in the

eyes of broken, old men as they patted young boys on the head

and considered the foolishness of youth; it was the empty death

found on abandoned coasts at the end of small islands dwarfed by

the hugeness of the Atlantic; it was the hopelessness of this

backwater village, swept clean of the talent and vitality, missed and

ignored by political turmoil sweeping the city, dependent upon a

poor stony earth and dwindling oil. Death here was a vision of a

hopeless future.

Answers to question (a)

are circled.

Answer to question (b)

Answer to question (e).

Light is given the human

quality of climbing up the

sky.

Answer to question (g)

Answer to question (c)

Answer to question (d)

Possible answers to (h) are

underlined.

8

Answers

a) What times of the day does the writer describe in paragraph 1? (2 marks)

Dawn; Midday; Evening

b) Identify the contrasting smells of the day mentioned by the writer in paragraph 1. (2 marks)

fish/ nets; cooking; oil

c) To what does the writer compare the colour of the setting sun (lines 7 – 10)? (2 marks)

the flares of the oil refinery, a huge red ball

d) Identify ONE example of what the writer refers to as “whimsical death” (lines 12 – 13). (2

marks)

the kind of death) found in the eyes of broken, old men

the kind of death) found on abandoned coasts ...

the hopelessness of this backwater village

e) Identify ONE word that illustrates personification in line 3. (1 mark )

Climbed

f) What impression is suggested about the village by the use of “each day was a deliberate

effort” (lines 1 -2)? (2 marks)

An answer which suggested struggle and difficulty

g) Why did cars parked too long sink slowly? (2 marks)

The weight of the cars on the sun-softened pitch

h) Identify TWO phrases in the last four lines that create the atmosphere of abandonment. (2

marks)

backwater village; missed and ignored; hopelessness of this backwater; swept clean of

talent and vitality; dependent upon a stony earth and dwindling oil; vision of a

hopeless future.

9

SECTION TWO: Comprehension Passage 2

Gradually, every parent becomes aware that his or her child has adult concerns, wants acres of

privacy and no longer trusts the goodwill of parents in the same old way. These are the biggest of

all changes in the child-parent relations, and are almost always in the place by age 13. This shift

occurs not because of bad influences and the media but because your child’s brain has matured and

is capable of more independent judgement. Please remember, however, that the change is not

locked in place. A young adolescent can bounce back and forth between ages 8 and 13 (and

sometimes 15) in a matter of seconds, scorning your values yet, at times, still wanting to sit on

your lap.

For girls, the central action is their social lives and the intensity of their feelings. No matter

how much a girl and her friends are torturing one another with gossip in school or instant messages

10 from home computers she is convinced that if you knew what she was saying, you would

disapprove or, even worse, try to interfere and make a bad situation uglier.

What is she talking about to her friends? A. Social power: who’s popular, who’s feminine,

who’s really weird. Parents: their faults and their inability to understand 13 year olds.

Girls are talking about their powerful feelings; they have complex and sometimes

overwhelming insights into life. Their joy can be great and visible, but their despair is hidden in

solitary late-night crying, journal entries, weight obsession.

Boys are preoccupied by their power and the opinion of other boys, their anxiety about

whether they live up to the test of masculinity, a new, deeper range of feelings that they may be

20unable to put into words. In the kitchen a boy looks down into his mother’s eyes and thinks, why

is this woman giving me orders? I love her but I’m bigger than she is. That perplexes him because

he still needs her so much. Boys, like girls, are having a lot of dark nights of soul in which they see

how disappointing adults can be and how unjust society is, but they may not be able to put their

fears into words, or they do not want to because it makes them feel weak.

Adapted from Michael Thompson, “What They Won’t Tell You

and Why”. Times, August 8, 2005, p. 63.

10

Gradually, every parent becomes aware that (1) his or her child has

adult concerns, (2) wants acres of privacy and (3) no longer trusts

the goodwill of parents in the same old way. These are the biggest

of all changes in the child-parent relations, and are almost always in

the place by age 13. This shift occurs not because of bad influences

and the media but because your child’s brain has matured and is

capable of more independent judgement. Please remember,

however, that the change is not locked in place. A young adolescent

can bounce back and forth between ages 8 and 13 (and sometimes

15) in a matter of seconds, scorning your values yet, at times, still

wanting to sit on your lap.

The word “acres”

suggests a large amount

of space.

Possible answers to

question (b) are

underlined.


Answer to question (c).

The sentence following

the phrase “locked in

place” explains the

concept.

For girls, the central action is their social lives and the intensity of

their feelings. No matter how much a girl and her friends are torturing

one another with gossip in school or instant messages from home

computers she is convinced that if you knew what she was saying, you

would disapprove or, even worse, try to interfere and make a bad

situation uglier.

What is she talking about to her friends? Social power: who’s

popular, who’s feminine, who’s really weird. Parents: their faults and

their inability to understand 13 year olds.

Girls are talking about their powerful feelings; they have complex

and sometimes overwhelming insights into life. Their joy can be great

and visible, but their despair is hidden in solitary late-night crying,

journal entries, weight obsession.

Boys are preoccupied by their power and the opinion of other

boys, their anxiety about whether they live up to the test of

masculinity, a new, deeper range of feelings that they may be unable

to put into words. In the kitchen a boy looks down into his mother’s

eyes and thinks, why is this woman giving me orders? I love her but

I’m bigger than she is. That perplexes him because he still needs her

so much. Boys, like girls, are having a lot of dark nights of soul in

which they see how disappointing adults can be and how unjust

society is, but they may not be able to put their fears into words, or

they do not want to because it makes them feel weak.

The idea is implied that

“you” is referring to

parents.

Words in the bold discuss

to question girls’

preoccupations (question

(f))

Words in bold discuss to

question boys’

preoccupations (question

(f))

11

Answers

a) What meaning is conveyed by the word “acres” in line 1? (2 marks)

The meaning conveyed is that the child wants the parents to give him/her a lot of/ a

large amount of personal space.

b) Identify TWO of the “biggest of all the changes in child-parent relations”, (lines 2 – 3)

according to the writer. (2 marks)

Any two of the following: his or her child has adult concerns; wants acres of privacy;

no longer trusts the goodwill of parents in the same old way.

c) What does the phrase “not locked in place” (line 5) mean? (2 marks)

This phrase means that the young person’s change is not fixed or constant (or any

word/phrase that conveys that idea)

d) What, according to the passage, are the causes of the shifts in child-parent relations? (2

marks)

Causes of shifts in child-parent relations can result from the young person’s process

of moving from childhood to adulthood with the brain maturing and the young

person becoming more capable of making judgements.

e) To whom does the pronoun “you” (line 10) refer? (1 mark )

The pronoun ‘you’ refers to the parent.

f) What according to the passage is the preoccupation of (i) girls and (ii) boys? (3 marks)

The preoccupation of girls is their social lives/social power/their powerful feelings

Boys are pre-occupied with the issue of their manhood/their personal power/the

opinions of their peers

g) Why, according to the writer, are the boys perplexed? (2 marks)

The boys are confused by their need for their mothers’ care despite the fact that they

are physically bigger and stronger than they are.

h) What conjunction of ‘contrast’ is used repeatedly (four times) in the passage? (1 mark )

But

Total 15 marks

12


ENGLISH A

JUNE 2010

SECTION ONE

Cassava takes about nine months to harvest. The roots or sticks of the plant are pulled out

and can be used to start a new crop. Once harvested, cassava roots spoil quickly and must be

processed within three to seven days to preserve their food value.

After reaping the cassava, the women place the tubers in woven baskets called dupao, each

of which holds up to 150 lbs, carrying them home to start the separation process. The cassava is

separated into fibre, starch and juice.

After peeling and grating, the cassava is placed into a basket-weave press to extract the

weave press to extract the juice; this is a matapee. A small receptacle beneath the matapee collects

the juice and starch. The fibrous remains are sun-dried, pounded and sifted. The resulting flour is

used to make cassava bread. This is eaten with stews or can be toasted, buttered and eaten alone.

The flour can be used to make tapioca and foufou as well.

The juice of bitter cassava, boiled and caramelized to the consistency of thick syrup, is called

Casareep. This is sold commercially throughout the Caribbean and worldwide. Casareep is used as

a food preservative in addition to flavouring and can keep a pot of pepper-pot on a stove for years

as long as it is brought to a boil at least once a day!

Cassava can be used for a variety of snack items. There are the popular cassava balls which

can be found in almost all school canteens, lunch rooms and road-side vendors, cassava pone,

puffs, cakes and cassava surprise. It can be peeled, washed, boiled and fried as part of a main meal,

complementing fish, meat and poultry dishes. It is also used in the popular metagee – a soup-like

dish – that includes a variety of ground provisions as well as plantains, all of which are boiled in

coconut milk.

Cassava also serves as a base for many exotic drinks. The indigenous people of Guyana

and Suriname make piwari, an alcoholic drink which is used at festivals and celebrations. Cassava

wine is also very popular, especially in the rural areas.

All in all, cassava plays an integral part in the diet and culture of the Guyanese people and

is now the third most important food crop in the world.

Adapted from Indira Anandjit, “Cassava: A Versatile Vegetable”.

Liat The Caribbean Airline

West Indies Publishing Ltd., 2006, pp. 40—41

13

COMMENTS ANNOTATED PASSAGE SUMMARY BY

PARAGRAPH

This paragraph has

three ideas. I need to

put them in my own

words.

Cassava takes about nine months to

harvest. The roots or sticks of the plant are

pulled out and can be used to start a new crop.

Once harvested, cassava roots spoil quickly

and must be processed within three to seven

days to preserve their food value.

Cassava takes

approximately nine

months to harvest, but

must be processed in

seven days to prevent

spoilage. The roots

can be used to start a

new crop.

These three

paragraphs discuss

the separation

process of the

cassava. Find a way

to order the process

as concisely as

possible. All

explanations and

elaborations must be

removed.

After reaping the cassava, the women

place the tubers in woven baskets called

dupao, each of which holds up to 150 lbs,

carrying them home to start the separation

process. The cassava is separated into fibre,

starch and juice.

After reaping, the

tubers are taken home

to be separated into

fibre, starch and juice.

After peeling and grating, the cassava

is placed into a basket-weave press to extract

the weave press to extract the juice; this is a

matapee. A small receptacle beneath the matapee

collects the juice and starch. The fibrous

remains are sun-dried, pounded and sifted.

The resulting flour is used to make cassava

bread. This is eaten with stews or can be toasted,

buttered and eaten alone. The flour can be used

to make tapioca and foufou as well.

First, the cassavas are

peeled, grated and

placed into a basket-

weave press to extract

the juice and starch.

The remaining fibre is

sun-dried, pounded

and sifted into flour.

The juice of bitter cassava, boiled and

caramelized to the consistency of thick syrup,

is called Casareep. This is sold commercially

throughout the Caribbean and worldwide.

Casareep is used as a food preservative in

addition to flavouring and can keep a pot of

pepper-pot on a stove for years as long as it is

brought to a boil at least once a day!

The cassava juice is

boiled and

caramelized into a

thick syrup called

Casareep, which is an

effective food

preservative.

Examples are given

of different ways

cassava can be eaten.

Find the broad

categories and omit

the specific

examples.

Cassava can be used for a variety of

snack items. There are the popular cassava balls

which can be found in almost all school canteens,

lunch rooms and road-side vendors, cassava

pone, puffs, cakes and cassava surprise. It can be

peeled, washed, boiled and fried as part of a

main meal, complementing fish, meat and

poultry dishes. It is also used in the popular

metagee – a soup-like dish – that includes a

variety of ground provisions as well as plantains,

all of which are boiled in coconut milk.

Cassava can be eaten

as a snack, part of a

main meal or in soups.

Omit specific Cassava also serves as a base for many Cassava can also be

14

examples of different

kinds of drinks.

exotic drinks. The indigenous people of Guyana

and Suriname make piwari, an alcoholic drink

which is used at festivals and celebrations.

Cassava wine is also very popular, especially in

the rural areas.

the base for many

alcoholic drinks

served at festivals and

celebrations.

This is a general

statement about how

important cassava is.

It may make sense

putting it first.

All in all, cassava plays an integral part

in the diet and culture of the Guyanese people

and is now the third most important food crop

in the world.

Cassava is an

important part of the

diet and culture of the

Guyanese people and

is the third most

important food crop

internationally.

A dash or a colon can

be used to replace

“which is”.

Summary version 1: Pulling together of ideas from each paragraph

Cassava is an important part of the diet and culture of the

Guyanese people and is the third most important food crop

internationally.

Cassava takes approximately nine months to harvest, but must

be processed in seven days to prevent spoilage. The roots can be used

to start a new crop.

After reaping, the tubers are separated into fibre, starch and

juice. First, the cassavas are peeled, grated and placed into a basket-

weave press to extract the juice and starch. The remaining fibre is sun-

dried, pounded and sifted into flour. The cassava juice is boiled and

caramelized into a thick syrup called Casareep, which is an effective

food preservative.

Cassava can be eaten as a snack, part of a main meal or in

soups. It can also be the base for many alcoholic drinks served at

festivals and celebrations.

138 words (over by 18 words)

Remove. This is

implied in the

process itself.

Remove.:

unnecessary detail.

Remove. I can make

peeled and grated

adjectives and won’t

need to use “are”.

15

Comprehension Passage 1

Revised Summary

Cassava is an important part of the diet and culture of the Guyanese people

and is the third most important food crop in the world.

Cassava takes approximately nine months to harvest and must be processed

within seven days of reaping to prevent spoilage. During the process, the peeled and

grated cassavas are placed into a basket-weave press to extract the juice and starch.

The remaining fibre is sun-dried, pounded and sifted into flour. The juice is boiled

and caramelized into a thick syrup called Casareep: an effective food preservative.

Cassava can be eaten as a snack, part of a main meal or in soups. It can also

be the base for many alcoholic drinks served at festivals and celebrations.

(120 words)

16


The trip to La Nouvelle Dame Marie took five minutes in a rocky van. However, Aunty

Atie thought that I couldn’t leave for New York without my grandmother’s blessing. Besides,

Granny Ife was getting on in years and this could be my last year to see her.

The van from Croix-des-Rosets let us off in the marketplace in Dame Marie. The roads to

my grandmother’s house were too rough for anything but wheelbarrows, mules, or feet.

Aunty Atie and I decided to go on foot. We walked by a line of thatched huts where a

group of women were pounding millet in a large mortar with a pestle. Others were cooking large

cassava cakes in flat pans over charcoal pits.

In the cane fields, the men chopped cane stalks as they sang back and forth to one another.

A crammed wheelbarrow rolled towards us. We stopped aside and allowed the boys to pass. They

were bare chested and soaked with sweat, with no protection from the sun except old straw hats.

We passed a farm with a bamboo fence around it. The owner was Man Grace, a tall woman

who had hair patches growing out of her chin. Man Grace and her daughter were working in the

yard, throwing handfuls of purple corn at a flock of guinea fowls.

My mother had sent money for the reconstruction of her old home. The house stood out

from all the others in Dame Marie. It was a flat brick house with wide windows and a shingled

roof. A barbed wire fence bordered my grandmother’s pumpkin wines and tuberose stems.

I raced up to the front of the house to stand under the rooster-shaped weather vanes

spinning on my grandmother’s porch. My grandmother was in the yard, pulling a rope out her

stone well.

“Old woman, I brought your child,” Aunty Atie said.

The rope slipped out of my grandmother’s hands, the bucket crashing with an echoing

splash. I leaped into her arms, nearly knocking her down.

“It does my heart a lot of good to see you,” she said.

Aunty Atie kissed my grandmother on the cheek and then went inside the house.

Granny Ife wrapped her arms around my body. Her head came up to my chin, her mop of

shrubby white hair tickling my lips.

17

The trip to La Nouvelle Dame Marie took five minutes

in a rocky van. However, Aunty Atie thought that I couldn’t

leave for New York without my grandmother’s blessing.

Besides, Granny Ife was getting on in years and this could

be my last year to see her.

Answer to question (a)

Possible answer to question (b)

The van from Croix-des-Rosets let us off in the

marketplace in Dame Marie. The roads to my grandmother’s

house were too rough for anything but wheelbarrows,

mules, or feet.

Aunty Atie and I decided to go on foot. We walked by

a line of thatched huts where a group of women were pounding

millet in a large mortar with a pestle. Others were cooking

large cassava cakes in flat pans over charcoal pits.


Answer to question (e)

In the cane fields, the men chopped cane stalks as

they sang back and forth to one another. A crammed

wheelbarrow rolled towards us. We stopped aside and

allowed the boys to pass. They were bare chested and

soaked with sweat, with no protection from the sun except

old straw hats.

We passed a farm with a bamboo fence around it. The owner was Man Grace, a tall woman who had hair patches

growing out of her chin. Man Grace and her daughter were

working in the yard, throwing handfuls of purple corn at a

flock of guinea fowls.

Information needed for the

answer to question (d)

My mother had sent money for the reconstruction of

her old home. The house stood out from all the others in

Dame Marie. It was a flat brick house with wide windows and

a shingled roof. A barbed wire fence bordered my

grandmother’s pumpkin wines and tuberose stems.

Answer to question (f)

I raced up to the front of the house to stand under the

rooster-shaped weather vanes spinning on my grandmother’s

porch. My grandmother was in the yard, pulling a rope out her

stone well.

“Old woman, I brought your child,” Aunty Atie said.

The rope slipped out of my grandmother’s hands, the

bucket crashing with an echoing splash. I leaped into her

arms, nearly knocking her down.

“It does my heart a lot of good to see you,” she said.

Aunty Atie kissed my grandmother on the cheek and then went

inside the house.


Answer to question (h)

Granny Ife wrapped her arms around my body. Her

head came up to my chin, her mop of shrubby white hair

tickling my lips.


18

Answers

(a) According to the passage, why was the author going to visit Granny Ife? (2 marks)

The author was going to visit Granny Ife for her blessing and also because it may have

been the last time she would see her granny again given her advanced age.

(b) What evidence is there in the passage that suggests that Granny Ife was old? (2 marks)

Any two of the following:

“Granny Ife was getting on in years” (line 3), “Old woman, I brought your child”(line

24), “shrubby white hair” (line30)

(c) What was the name of the village from which the author travelled? (1 mark)

Croix-des-Rosets

(d) According to the passage, what was the main occupation of the people in La Nouvelle Dame

Marie? (2 marks)

The main occupation was farming/planting

(e) Why did the author and Aunty Atie have to walk to Granny Ife’s house? (2 marks)

The roads to her house were too rough to do anything else but walk.

(f) Identify the phrase in paragraph 6 that indicates that Granny Ife’s house was different. (2

marks)

“stood out from all the others in Dame Marie” (lines 18-19) indicates that Granny Ife’s

house was different.

(g) Identify TWO expressions that show the author was glad to see her grandmother. (2

marks)

Any two: “I raced up to the front of the house” (line 21) “leaped into her arms”, “ nearly

knocking her down.” (line 26)

(h) Identify the sentence in the passage that indicates the joy that Granny Ife felt in seeing her

grandchild. (2 marks)

“It does my heart a lot of good to see you,” (line 27) indicates that joy that Granny Ife felt

in seeing her child.

Total: 15 marks

19


IQ and EQ

For many years people enjoyed respect, even preferential treatment, if they scored high on

intelligence tests. However, high IQ does not necessarily predict who will succeed in life.

Psychologists agree that IQ contributes only about 20% of the factors that determine success. A

full 80% comes from other factors, including what is called EQ (Emotional Quotient. Some of the

major qualities that make up EQ are: self-awareness, self-motivation, mood management and

impulse control.

Self-awareness refers to the ability to recognise a feeling as it happens. It requires that the

individual tunes in to ‘gut feeling’, a response that is often unconscious Awareness of ‘gut

feeling’ has to be deliberately developed. EQ allows one to evaluate feelings and change them if

necessary, so one does not develop bad situations.

Positive self-motivation requires clear goals, perseverance, and a ‘can-do’ attitude. Failure is seen

as meaning that the wrong approach is being used, and the individual strategize afresh, while those

with low EQ are more likely to feel rejected.

Mood management is the act of controlling emotion. Rage, for instance, is a common emotion.

When incidents cause anger and that anger goes unchecked or is allowed to build up, it can cause

hypertension and leads us to create bad situations. Popular techniques known to work in reducing

anger include, not ventilating as is often thought, but seeking pleasant distractions, deep

breathing, meditation or some quiet, solitary activity.

Impulse control is illustrated by the ability to delay gratification. It is a skill that can be developed

with practice. When one is faced with temptation, for instance, it helps to remember long-

term goals and not to give in to quick pleasures.

The individual with a high EQ is better able to understand other people’s feelings and practise

better interpersonal skills. No matter what the IQ, those with high EQ rise above the average.

20

IQ and EQ

For many years people enjoyed respect, even preferential treatment, if

they scored high on intelligence tests. However, high IQ does not

necessarily predict who will succeed in life. Psychologists agree that IQ

contributes only about 20% of the factors that determine success. A full

80% comes from other factors, including what is called EQ (Emotional

Quotient. Some of the major qualities that make up EQ are: self-

awareness, self-motivation, mood management and impulse control.

Answer to question (b)



Self-awareness refers to the ability to recognise a feeling as it happens. It

requires that the individual tunes in to ‘gut feeling’, a response that is

often unconscious Awareness of ‘gut feeling’ has to be deliberately

developed. EQ allows one to evaluate feelings and change them if

necessary, so one does not develop bad situations.

Positive self-motivation requires clear goals, perseverance, and a ‘can-

do’ attitude. Failure is seen as meaning that the wrong approach is being

used, and the individual strategize afresh, while those with low EQ are

more likely to feel rejected.



Mood management is the act of controlling emotion. Rage, for instance,

is a common emotion. When incidents cause anger and that anger goes

unchecked or is allowed to build up, it can cause hypertension and leads

us to create bad situations. Popular techniques known to work in reducing

anger include, not ventilating as is often thought, but seeking pleasant

distractions, deep breathing, meditation or some quiet, solitary

activity.

Answer to (f)

Possible answers to (e)

Impulse control is illustrated by the ability to delay gratification. It is a

skill that can be developed with practice. When one is faced with

temptation, for instance, it helps to remember long-term goals and

not to give in to quick pleasures.

One can infer the

answer to question (g)

The individual with a high EQ is better able to understand other people’s

feelings and practise better interpersonal skills. No matter what the IQ,

those with high EQ rise above the average.

21

Answers

(a) What FOUR qualities in EQ does the writer explain in the body of the passage? (1 mark)

Self-awareness, self-motivation, mood management and impulse control are the four

qualities (Students may also observe that paragraphs 2-5 deal with each quality

respectively).

(b) What do the letters ‘I’ and ‘Q’ in the abbreviation IQ stand for? (2 marks)

Intelligence Quotient (Students have to infer the “quotient” based on the linking of the

word to EQ: Emotional Quotient)

(c) Why does awareness of ‘gut feeling’ have to be deliberately developed? (2 marks)

The awareness of ‘gut feeling’ has to be deliberately developed because people do not

normally think consciously about it. Therefore effort must be made to do so.

(d) According to the passage, in what way does one avoid developing ‘bad situations’?(2 marks)

Evaluating and changing feelings helps one to avoid developing ‘bad situations’.

(e) Identify TWO techniques which the writer says are known to reduce anger. (2 marks)

Any two of the following: seeking pleasant distractions, deep breathing, meditation or

some quiet, solitary activity.

(f) According to the writer, what technique does not really work to reduce anger? (2 marks)

ventilating/airing one’s views (NB, students may be tempted to write “not

ventilating”/supressing feelings because of how the sentence is written)

(g) What is the meaning of ‘gratification’ (line 19) as used in the passage? (2 marks)

Pleasing oneself /satisfying oneself

(h) What is the writer’s intention in the passage? (2 marks)

The writer’s intention is to illustrate different qualities of Emotional Quotient/show

different ways a person can show emotional intelligence

NB, If students understand the basic structure of different modes of writing (expository:

to explain/inform, persuasive (to convince), narrative (to tell a story) etc., they will be

able to match purpose with mode very easily.

Total 15 marks

22


ENGLISH A

JUNE 2013

SECTION A


1. Read carefully the following magazine article on the use of water and write a summary of

it in NOT MORE THAN 120 WORDS. As far as possible use your own words. If the limit

is exceeded, only the first 120 words of your answer will be read and assessed. Your

summary must be in continuous prose. You may make notes or plan your summary in

your answer booklet.

In your answer you will be assessed on how well you

a) were able to identify the main ideas and opinions on the extract

b) organized and expressed these ideas appropriately for audience and purpose.

c) controlled your grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary.

Total 30 marks

Water

Imagine that you get up in the morning with the sweet sound of rain against the windows. You

look out and the world sings to you. Water makes it possible. Crystal clear water is available right

in the comfort of your home. Shortage is not even in the back of your mind because you know that

the process of getting that water to you is in the hands of responsible persons.

Some forecasts show that by 2025 more than 3 billion people will face water scarcity, but this is

not because the world lacks water. The world water crisis is a crisis of management – not one of

scarcity. At the global scale, there is enough water to provide “water security” for all, but only if

we change the way we manage and develop it. The scarcity of water is a very relative concept that

can only be seriously addressed by looking at a basket of factors, including socio-economic,

technical and institutional aspects of water use.

Water is important to our national economies, our leisure and even to our culture. The

sustainable management of water resources is of central importance to poverty alleviation,

people’s health and the protection of the environment. The best initiatives are those that make a

political commitment to consider water as an integral part of sustainable human development, and

those which strive to adapt management of the resources to the needs of the poor.

Our culture and lifestyles are key factors in the inequitable distribution of water. Changes in

attitude and actions will bring about a positive difference, even when those attitudes and actions

are as simple as realizing the value of water and remembering conservation practices. Our water

23

use must be through sustainable with the aim of safeguarding this resource for our future

generations.

There is no quick fix or simple solution when it comes to safeguarding and managing a

resource that is in as much demand as water. It is evident that to maintain our most precious

resource, our managerial capacity has to be upgraded since the current strategies were developed

for past human and natural needs and are now inappropriate to our present needs.

2. Read carefully the following magazine article on the use of

water and write a summary of it in NOT MORE THAN 120

WORDS. As far as possible use your own words. If the limit is

exceeded, only the first 120 words of your answer will be read

and assessed. Your summary must be in continuous prose. You

may make notes or plan your summary in your answer booklet.


d) were able to identify the main ideas and opinions on the

extract

e) organized and expressed these ideas appropriately for

audience and purpose.

f) controlled your grammar, sentence structure and

vocabulary.

Total 30 marks

Adhere to this

instruction.

Paraphrase as far as

possible, but be

concise.


PARAGRAPH

Title of the passage is

a clear idea of what it

is about.

Water

Imagine that you get up in the morning with

the sweet sound of rain against the windows. You

look out and the world sings to you. Water

makes it possible. Crystal clear water is

available right in the comfort of your home.

Shortage is not even in the back of your mind because you know that the process of getting that

water to you is in the hands of responsible

persons.

Water is often taken

for granted and its

value is overlooked.

Exclude statistics

Some forecasts show that by 2025 more than 3

billion people will face water scarcity, but this

is not because the world lacks water. The

world water crisis is a crisis of management –

not one of scarcity. At the global scale, there is

enough water to provide “water security” for all,

Water scarcity will

occur in 2025 not

because the world

lacks water but due to

a crisis in management

of it.

24

Look out for words

that indicate that an

example will follow.

Omit, or classify the

examples.

but only if we change the way we manage and

develop it. The scarcity of water is a very

relative concept that can only be seriously

addressed by looking at a basket of factors, including socio-economic, technical and

institutional aspects of water use.

Water scarcity means

different things in

different places and

can be addressed by

looking at a variety of

ways in which water is

used.

This paragraph

expands on the idea

raised in paragraph

one about why water

is important.

The third sentence

gives a further

explanation of how

water resources

should be managed.

Water is important to our national

economies, our leisure and even to our culture.

The sustainable management of water

resources is of central importance to poverty

alleviation, people’s health and the protection

of the environment. The best initiatives are

those that make a political commitment to

consider water as an integral part of sustainable

human development, and those which strive to

adapt management of the resources to the needs

of the poor.

Water is vital to all

aspects of human life

and human activity

and therefore water

resources must be

managed in a

sustainable way.

Our culture and lifestyles are key factors in

the inequitable distribution of water. Changes in

attitude and actions will bring about a positive

difference, even when those attitudes and actions

are as simple as realizing the value of water and

remembering conservation practices. Our water

use must be through sustainable with the aim of

safeguarding this resource for our future

generations.

Changes in attitudes

and actions will help

to adjust the unequal

distribution of water.

There is no quick fix or simple solution

when it comes to safeguarding and managing a

resource that is in as much demand as water. It is

evident that to maintain our most precious

resource, our managerial capacity has to be

upgraded since the current strategies were

developed for past human and natural needs

and are now inappropriate to our present

needs.

Protecting and

managing water

requires updating the

strategies that are

presently used.

25

MAIN POINTS FOR SUMMARY

Water is vital to all aspects of life and human activity. It is often taken for granted and its

value is overlooked.

Water scarcity means different things in different places but everywhere it relates to a

country’s economic and social activities and to people’s attitudes to water.

World shortage is not actual because there is really enough water for all, but is caused by

careless attitudes, outdated management of resources and waste. The impact is that a very

large portion of the world will face real scarcity by 2025.

Attention must be given to the problem in order to ensure that future generations have

water and that the needs of the poor are addressed.

The solutions will come from a change in our attitude to water use, appropriate valuing of

water, and updated management strategies.

SAMPLE SUMMARIES

Sample 1

Everyone enjoys water and it is often taken for granted. We do not think about shortage but there is

looming worldwide water scarcity. This is not because of a lack of water but because of the poor

management. There is actually enough water for all. Water is important to every aspect of human

society, and therefore a change in our attitude to water use is necessary. Sustainable management

of this resource can reduce poverty, contribute to people’s well-being and help protect the

environment. We must realize the value of water and how important its conservation is for future

generations. To maintain this most precious resource, we must upgrade our management strategies

to meet our present needs.

(118 words)

Sample 2

People today do not even think of water shortage; however, it is predicted that by 2025 this could

become a reality for billions. The crisis will not result from water scarcity but from poor

management and attitudes, which must be addressed by considering all factors related to water use.

Water is critical to a country’s economic and cultural well-being, and ideal practices must focus on

sustainable human development and the reduction of poverty. If water is to be distributed equitably

we have to recognise its value and the need to conserve for the future. The answer will not be easy

but management practices will have to be updated to meet modern day requirements.

(109 words)

Sample 3

We take the ready availability of water for granted and seldom think that scarcity is possible.

However, there is a looming crisis which will peak by 2025. The predicted crisis will not result

from scarcity but from poor management. A sustainable water supply is critical to protecting the

environment, alleviating poverty and maintaining a nation’s physical and economic health.

Sustainable management of water resources is possible through simple lifestyle changes and

changes in attitude. This cannot be a flash-in-the-pan approach. We must recognise the value of

26

water and the importance of conserving this valuable resource to protect future generations.

Outmoded management practices must be replaced by strategies more suited to our present needs.

(116 words)

27



1. Read the following poem carefully and then answer all the questions that follow.

Carrion Crows

Yes, I have seen them perched on paling posts-

Brooding with evil eyes upon the road,

Their black wings hooded – and they left these roosts

When I have hissed at them. Away they strode

Clapping their wings in a man’s stride, away

Over the fields. And I have seen them feast

On swollen carrion in the broad eye of day,

Pestered by flies, and yet they never ceased

But I have seen them emperors of the sky,

Balancing gracefully in the wind’s drive

With their broad sails just shifting, or again

Throwing huge shadows from the sun’s eye

To brush so swiftly over the field’s plain,

And winnowing the air like beauty come alive.

A J. Seymour, Extracted from: West Indian Poetry:

Edited by Kenneth Ramchand and Cecil Gray, 1971. P.

7

28

Carrion Crows

Question (a) “them” refers to the birds

specifically the Carrion Crows. Here

students must make the connection to

the title of the poem.

Yes, I have seen them perched on paling posts-

Brooding with evil eyes upon the road,

Their black wings hooded – and they left these roosts

When I have hissed at them. Away they strode

Clapping their wings in a man’s stride, away

Over the fields. And I have seen them feast

On swollen carrion in the broad eye of day,

Pestered by flies, and yet they never ceased

But I have seen them emperors of the sky,

Balancing gracefully in the wind’s drive

With their broad sails just shifting, or again

Throwing huge shadows from the sun’s eye

To brush so swiftly over the field’s plain,

And winnowing the air like beauty come alive.

Question (b) Words and phrases used in

the first stanza to create an image of the

birds are underlined with a broken line.

Question (c) Examples of where the

poet gives human qualities to the crows

are circled. (Here the poet uses the

literary device of personification.

Personification is the attribution of a

personal nature or human characteristics

to something non-human)

(See Answers to (d) to (f) in the page

below).

Question (h) Alliteration is found in the

phrases in bold.

Alliteration is the occurrence of the

same letter or sound at the beginning of

adjacent or closely connected words.

Question (i) Metaphors are all

underlined. A metaphor is a word or

phrase that is used to make a

comparison between two people, things,

animals, or places.

Answers

(a) To whom or what does the pronoun “them” in line 1 refer? (1 mark)

Carrion crows/ crows/ birds *accept ‘john crow’, ‘corbeau’(x)

(b) Identify TWO words or phrases in the first stanza that the poet uses to create an image

of the birds. (2 marks)

Evil eyes / black wings hooded / brooding / brooding with evil eyes / perched / perched

on paling posts/ feast/feast on swollen carrion / clapping their wings

(Any two, one mark each)

(c) Which TWO words in lines 4 and 5 does the poet use to give human qualities to the crows?

(2 marks)

1 mark for each of the following: stride / strode / clapping

2 marks for: they strode / man’s stride.

(Any two, one mark each)

29

(d) Explain the effect which the poet achieves in his description of the scene in lines 6 to 8.

(2 marks)

The poet creates a picture (idea, image) of ugliness (1 element) which repulses (1

element) (disturbs, disgusts) the reader / creates a negative impression of the crows (1

element) which cause the reader to dislike the crows (1 element).

Both elements – 2 marks

One element – 1 mark

(e) What do lines 7 and 8 show about the crows’ attitude? (2 marks)

They pay no attention no disapproval / they are arrogant / bold/ determined / will eat

any meat/ are too hungry to bother about being seen or disturbed*

(f) Why does the poet use the word “But” in line 9? (2 marks)

To indicate a change (1 element) in attitude (1 element) / to show contrast (1 element)

between the two images of the crows (1 element)

Both elements – 2 marks

One element – 1 marks

(g) What different attitudes does the poet show to the carrion crows in lines 1-8 and lines 9-

14? (2 marks)

In lines 1 – 8 he suggests distaste, in lines 9- 14 he shows amazement / great

admiration.

1 mark for either if the student specifies the lines

(h) Quote ONE example of alliteration from the poem. (1 mark)

Line 1 – “perched on paling posts” / “sails just shifting”

(i) Quote ONE example of metaphor from the poem. (1mark)

“emperors of the sky”/ “broad eye of day” / Throwing huge shadows/ broad

sails/clapping their wings in a man’s stride/sun’s eye.

*Accept any other reasonable/relevant response

Total 15 marks

30


1. Read the following extract carefully and then answer all the questions that follow.

In the Indian Ocean, off the Horn of Africa, lies an island called Socotra, the largest island in a

group of four. It has a reputation that is legendary. While sailors in the past shunned its rocky

coastal waters and dreaded being caught near to it in a storm, there were others who, at the same

time, had heard of the natural wealth of the land and were drawn there in search of its riches.

Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans visited in search of the aromatic frankincense, the aloe,

and the dark sap from the dragon’s blood tree, used for healing and for artist’s colour.

Socotra’s climate is tropical desert and semi-desert. Yearly rainfall is light, but is fairly evenly

spread throughout the year. Generally the higher inland areas receive more rain than the coastal

lowlands, due to the interior mountains. The people live like their ancestors did: the mountain folk

keeping their goats and the coastal people fishing and everyone harvests dates. The modern world

still seeks Socotra’s exotic products.

Socotra is so different that the landscape is the most alien-looking on Earth, according to some

visitors. One visitor described the landscape as a jumble of limestone rocks eroded into knife-edge

shapes. There is generally a burnt-brown harshness interrupted here and there by the brilliant

crimson flowers growing on a succulent plant. A third of the plant life in the island is found

nowhere else on the planet.

According to environmental experts, there are numerous threats to the future of Socotra

Island and its wildlife. Road-building presents one of the greatest threats. Roadways far in excess

of local people’s needs have already destroyed and fragmented delicate and rare habitats. Grander

schemes which threaten to further damage Socotra’s unique and fragile ecosystems and threaten to

cause the extinction of endemic wild life are on the drawing board. The experts have also warned

that over-fishing may disrupt food chains with potentially calamitous effects on the marine

environment.

31

In the Indian Ocean, off the Horn of Africa, lies an island

called Socotra, the largest island in a group of four. It has a

reputation that is legendary. While sailors in the past shunned its

rocky coastal waters and dreaded being caught near to it in a

storm, there were others who, at the same time, had heard of the

natural wealth of the land and were drawn there in search of its

riches. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans visited in search of

the aromatic frankincense, the aloe, and the dark sap from the

dragon’s blood tree, used for healing and for artist’s colour.

Socotra’s climate is tropical desert and semi-desert. Yearly

rainfall is light, but is fairly evenly spread throughout the year.

Generally the higher inland areas receive more rain than the

coastal lowlands, due to the interior mountains. The people live

like their ancestors did: the mountain folk keeping their goats

and the coastal people fishing and everyone harvests dates.

The modern world still seeks Socotra’s exotic products.

Socotra is so different that the landscape is the most alien-

looking on Earth, according to some visitors. One visitor described

the landscape as a jumble of limestone rocks eroded into knife-

edge shapes. There is generally a burnt-brown harshness

interrupted here and there by the brilliant crimson flowers growing

on a succulent plant. A third of the plant life in the island is found

nowhere else on the planet.

According to environmental experts, there are numerous threats

to the future of Socotra Island and its wildlife. Road-building

presents one of the greatest threats. Roadways far in excess of

local people’s needs have already destroyed and fragmented

delicate and rare habitats. Grander schemes which threaten to

further damage Socotra’s unique and fragile ecosystems and

threaten to cause the extinction of endemic wild life are on the

drawing board. The experts have also warned that over-fishing

may disrupt food chains with potentially calamitous effects on the

This opening line gives a

clear idea of what the passage

is about.

Question (a) Here it is

implied that sailors shunned

its rocky coastal waters and

dreaded being near to it in a

storm because they felt it was

dangerous.

Question (b) The use of the

phrase “while sailors in the

past shunned…” and “the

land drew others” illustrates

that the writer is using

comparison and contrast.

Some sailors avoided the

place, but others were drawn

to it for its wealth.

Question (c) These two

sentences clearly imply that

the island has not changed

with time.


Answers to question (f)

Answers to question (g)

32

marine environment. Question (h) this question

requires a synthesis of all

information presented in the

final paragraph in order for

recommendations to be made

to the government. The

action that can be

recommended based on this

paragraph is to be careful

about development which

disturbs / destroys the natural

environment. Specific actions

can also be recommended

such as: stop unnecessary

road building / stop other

plans aimed to develop but

which will cause destruction /

stop people from overfishing

or any expression that speaks

protect or conservation.

Answers

(a) How do we know that the coastal water of Socotra are dangerous? (1 mark)

Sailors avoided the island/ sailors feared being caught near to it in a storm/rocky

coastal waters.

Any one, one mark

(b) Quote TWO words of phrases from paragraph 1 which suggest that the writer is using

comparison and contrast. (2 marks)

While … at the same time/ sailors shunned … the land drew others/ largest island in a

group of four …

While…. At the same time

Sailors shunned…. The land drew others

(c) From paragraph 2, identify TWO things about the island that have not changed with time.

(2 marks)

(1) The natives have the same occupations/ they keep goats/ they fish/ they harvest dates.

Allow no mark if their items follow “live like their ancestors”.

(2) People still come looking for the exotic products/ the island still produces exotic

products.

(d) Quote the sentence from paragraph 3 which BEST suggest Socotra’s uniqueness. (2 marks)

“A third of the planet life on the island is found nowhere else on the planet, “/ Socotra

is so different that the landscape is the most alien-looking place on earth.

33

(e) Why is the write careful to describe the land and plant life in detail? (2 marks)

To explain why the landscape is alien-looking / to suggest that the place should be

protected for its uniqueness/to suggest that the land is unique/ to encourage people to

appreciate the island/ to give a picture or image of the island

(f) What are the specific behaviours that are seen as threats to Socotra’s ecosystem? (2 marks)

road building and overfishing

(g) What words in the final paragraph indicate that developers are not thinking about the

degrading of the natural environment? (2marks)

“Grander schemes which threaten to further damage…”/ “Roadways far in excess….”

(h) What actions concerning the environment would be recommended to the government of

Socotra, based on the information in the last paragraph? (2 marks)

Be careful about development which disturbs/destroys the natural environment

OR

specific actions e.g., Stop unnecessary road building/ stop other plans aimed to

develop but which will cause destruction/ stop people from overfishing or nay

expression that’s speaks protection or conservation.

1 action = 1 mark

1 action with reason = 2 marks

General piece of advice regarding environment = 2 marks.

Total 15 marks

34


ENGLISH A

JUNE 2014

SECTION ONE

Read the following article on the moon and write a summary of it in NOT MORE THAN

120 words. Your summary must be in continuous prose. You may use your answer booklet

to jot down a plan of your points or make notes. THIS WILL NOT BE MARKED.


(a) were able to identify the main ideas and opinions in the extract

(b) organized and expressed these ideas in your own words.

(c) used appropriate grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, spelling and

punctuation.

For centuries the moon has been associated with various activities, phases and conditions in life.

Insanity is an example – the word ‘lunatic’ comes from the Latin word for moon. ‘luna’. In

Britain, the Lunacy Act of 1824 actually stated that people went mad when the moon was full.

Today, despite the fact that many of the myths have been found to be invalid, the moon still grips

our imaginations and we are still caught between scientific and poetic attitudes to the moon.

Researchers continue to study the moon, and many believe that there are clear links between its

cycle, natural events and human activities like agriculture, crime, and even our health.

The human body is 70% water, and since the moon has gravitational effect on water, the moon

should therefore affect our bodies. The fact is, our moon has gravity which is about one-sixth of

that on earth, and although that force is considered very small by the time it reaches us, it still has

an amazingly powerful effect on our planet. For instance, the moon’s gravitational pull causes the

tides, shifting billion of tons of water twice a day. But lunar gravity only works on large masses,

such as oceans. It has no effect on even very large lakes. So how can it affect us?

Scientists accept the strange effect the moon seems to have on reproduction: on marine life it

affects the breeding patterns of oysters and crabs; with women it affects the menstrual cycle.

Midwives say that they are busier delivering babies around the full moon, though this is not

confirmed by scientific statistics.

One of the oldest beliefs is that a full moon can turn someone who is sane into a mad person. The

story “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” was inspired by this belief. An investigation in Miami suggests

that the homicide rate peaks with the full moon; in India there seems to be much more violent

crime around the time when the moon is full, but this might be influenced by their strong interest

in astrology. Psychiatric nurses say patients become more disturbed when the moon is full, and

firemen report more cases of arson. The large number of anecdotes has inspired scientific

research, and though it indeed shows a correlation between changed behaviour and the full moon,

conclusions are mixed.

35

A lecturer in medical psychology, Dr. David Nias, has suggested that the shifts in behaviour are

explained by the small number of people who believe in the “full moon effect” and change their

behaviour accordingly, in much the same way as believers in astrology might modify their

behaviour to match that associated with the star signs.

Adapted from J. Rahim, “New Moons and Old Wives’

Tales, Reflections on the Moon”, British Airways

Highlife, August 1998, pp. 127-128.


PARAGRAPH

The first sentence

and the last sentence

are saying almost the

same thing.

Look out for all of

the words that

indicate that an

example is being

presented.

For centuries the moon has been

associated with various activities, phases and

conditions in life. Insanity is an example – the

word ‘lunatic’ comes from the Latin word for

moon ‘luna’. In Britain, the Lunacy Act of 1824

actually stated that people went mad when the

moon was full. Today, despite the fact that may

of the myths have been found to be invalid, the

moon still grips our imaginations and we are still

caught between scientific and poetic attitudes to

the moon. Researchers continue to study the

moon, and many believe that there are clear links

between its cycle, natural events and human

activities like agriculture, crime, and even our

health.

For centuries, the

moon’s cycle has been

linked to a variety of

natural events and

human activities.

Look out for all of

the words that

indicate that an

example is being

presented.

Avoid the use of

statistics.

The human body is 70% water, and

since the moon has gravitational effect on

water, the moon should therefore affect our

bodies. The fact is, our moon has gravity which

is about one-sixth of that on earth, and although

that force is considered very small by the time it

reaches us, it still has an amazingly powerful

effect on our planet. For instance, the moon’s

gravitational pull causes the tides, shifting billion

of tons of water twice a day. But lunar gravity

only works on large masses, such as oceans. It

has no effect on even very large lakes. So how

can it affect us?

The moon has a strong

gravitational effect on

large masses of water

which leads some to

expect that it could

affect the human body.

A colon often

indicates that

examples are going

to follow. Find one

word to incorporate

“oysters and clams”.

The comment about

Scientists accept the strange effect the

moon seems to have on reproduction: on

marine life it affects the breeding patterns of

oysters and crabs; with women it affects the

menstrual cycle. Midwives say that they are

busier delivering babies around the full moon,

though this is not confirmed by scientific

The moon appears to

affect reproduction

patterns in both

humans and marine

life.

36

the midwives is an

opinion and should

be omitted.

statistics.

The words that are

crossed out are

illustrations and

examples of how the

moon has been linked

to insanity and

therefore are

irrelevant.

Try to restate the

sentence in your own

words.

One of the oldest beliefs is that a full

moon can turn someone who is sane into a

mad person. The story “Dr Jekyll and Mr

Hyde” was inspired by this belief. An

investigation in Miami suggests that the

homicide rate peaks with the full moon; in India

there seems to be much more violent crime

around the time when the moon is full, but this

might be influenced by their strong interest in

astrology. Psychiatric nurses say patients

become more disturbed when the moon is full,

and firemen report more cases of arson. The

large number of anecdotes has inspired

scientific research, and though it indeed shows

a correlation between changed behaviour and

the full moon, conclusions are mixed.

It has long

been believed that a

full moon can cause a

person to become

insane. However,

while scientific

research shows a

possible connection

between the moon’s

cycle and erratic

behaviour, the results

are inconclusive.

Omit this point, since

it is the opinion of

one researcher.

A lecturer is medical psychology, Dr.

David Nias, has suggested that the shifts in

behaviour are explained by the small number of

people who believe in the “full moon effect” and

change their behaviour accordingly, in much the

same way as believers in astrology might modify

their behaviour to match that associated with the

star signs.

One lecturer has

suggested that changes

in behaviour may be

caused by people who

believe in the effect of

the full moon and

adjust their behaviour

according to the moon.

Summary (First draft)

For centuries, the moon’s cycle has been linked to a variety of natural events and human

activities. The moon has a strong gravitational effect on large masses of water which leads some to

expect that it could affect the human body. The moon appears to affect reproduction patterns in

both human beings and marine life.

It has long been believed that a full moon can cause a person to become insane. However,

while scientific research shows a possible connection between the moon’s cycle and erratic

behaviour, the results are not conclusive.

(91 words)

For centuries, the moon’s cycle has been linked to a variety of

natural events and human activities. The moon It has a strong

gravitational effect on large masses of water which leads some to

expect that it could affect the human body. In fact, the moon appears

to affect reproduction patterns in both human and marine life.

It has long been believed that a full moon can cause a person to

become insane. However, while scientific research shows a possible

Replace with a

pronoun.

Add a phrase to

transition from one

idea to the other.

37

connection between the moon’s cycle and erratic behaviour, the results

are not conclusive.

.

Final summary

For centuries, the moon’s cycle has been linked to a variety of natural events and human

activities. It has a strong gravitational effect on large masses of water which leads some to expect

that it could affect the human body. In fact, the moon appears to effect reproduction patterns in

both human and marine life.

Many people believe that a full moon can cause a person to become insane. However,

while scientific research shows a possible connection between the moon’s cycle and erratic

behaviour, the results are not conclusive.

(89 words)

38


JANUARY 2014

SECTION ONE


1. Read the following newspaper article on university education and then write a summary of it

in NOT MORE THAN 120 words. If this limit is exceeded, only the first 120 words of your

answer will be read and assessed. As far as possible use your own words. Your summary

must be in continuous prose. You may use your answer booklet to jot down a plan of your

points or make notes. THIS WILL NOT BE MARKED.



(b) organized and expressed these ideas.

(c) used appropriate grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation.

By the late 1990’s, several countries had decided that university education would no longer be

mainly for the middle and upper classes. The time had come to offer it to whoever wanted it.

Unfortunately, this wish to offer higher education to all is proving difficult to achieve, especially in

countries now facing financial difficulties that affect employment and salaries.

For the first time, in more than a decade, politicians are daring to say publicly what many in the

society are thinking: that it may not have been wise to throw open the doors to university education.

The offer of university education has encouraged unrealistic hopes and reinforced the idea that a

university education is vital for all – which a growing chorus of advocates disputes. Students have

been told they have to go to university if they want to get a good job, but they’re now finding it’s

going to be very difficult.

Placed under pressure by the increasing numbers seeking admission, universities are pressing for

hefty raises in the tuition fees, but governments are cash-strapped. Governments could set an upper

limit on the number of university places as experts have suggested is necessary, but many students

would be disappointed. Yet experts see this as a necessary correction.

Another unfortunate development noted by academics and students, and causing much grumbling is

that standards are sliding. This follows form the rising numbers and lower entry requirements.

Too much time is now needed for remedial training to bring students up to the basic level needed

for a degree. After all, as Frank Furedi, professor of sociology at the University of Kent puts it, a

degree is not necessarily the benchmark of a good education.

Politicians and professors are also beginning to ask whether we are producing too many graduates

In the wrong subjects. The problem, put simply, is that we cannot supply enough jobs to match our

university output. “We are distorting the labour market,” says Anastasia de Waal, author of

“Unqualified Success”, an upcoming study of the UK’s universities. “We have made a lot of jobs

that weren’t considered graduate jobs, into graduate jobs, and that squeezes the opportunities for

those that don’t have degrees.”

Adapted form Williams Underhill, “The Great Retreat”

Newsweek, August 10 & 17, 2009, pp. 39-40.

39


PARAGRAPH

By the late 1990’s, several countries had decided that

university education would no longer be mainly for

the middle and upper classes. The time had come to

offer it to whoever wanted it. Unfortunately, this wish

to offer higher education to all is proving difficult to

achieve, especially in countries now facing financial

difficulties that affect employment and salaries.

The 1990s widespread

encouragement of lower

income persons to enter

university has led to

disappointment and

frustration.

Governments cannot

maintain the costs.

For the first time, in more than a decade, politicians

are daring to say publicly what many in the society

are thinking: that it may not have been wise to throw

open the doors to university education. The offer of

university education has encouraged unrealistic

hopes and reinforced the idea that a university

education is vital for all – which a growing chorus

of advocates disputes. Students have been told they

have to go to university if they want to get a good job,

but they’re now finding it’s going to be very difficult.

Students entering

university have

unrealistic hopes and

expectations from the

degrees.

Placed under pressure by the increasing numbers

seeking admission, universities are pressing for

hefty raises in the tuition fees, but governments are

cash-strapped. Governments could set an upper limit

on the number of university places as experts have

suggested is necessary, but many students would be

disappointed. Yet experts see this as a necessary

correction.

With the increasing

numbers of students

seeking admission,

universities are raising

their tuition fees. One

option is to limit the

number of university

places offered, but this

will disappoint students.

Another unfortunate development noted by academics

and students, and causing much grumbling is that

standards are sliding. This follows form the rising

numbers and lower entry requirements. Too much

time is now needed for remedial training to bring

students up to the basic level needed for a degree.

After all, as Frank Furedi, professor of sociology at

the University of Kent puts it, a degree is not

necessarily the benchmark of a good education.

Students entering

university require

remedial help.

Falling standards have

resulted from lower level

entry requirements.

Politicians and professors are also beginning to ask

whether we are producing too many graduates in the

wrong subjects. The problem, put simply, is that we

cannot supply enough jobs to match our university

output. “We are distorting the labour market,” says

Anastasia de Waal, author of “Unqualified Success”,

an upcoming study of the UK’s universities. “We

have made a lot of jobs that weren’t considered

graduate jobs, into graduate jobs, and that squeezes

There are too many

graduates in areas which

are not vital to national

development.

Jobs formerly held by

those without degrees

are now claimed by the

high numbers of

graduates, thus causing

40

the opportunities for those that don’t have degrees.”

employment and job

dislocation.

Use the box provided to write a summary using the points listed above. Remember to state

the number of words used.

41

MODEL ANSWER

CSEC English Past Paper

Paper 2 (2004)

The following pages contain some model answers that have been written to guide

you as you work towards writing the CSEC exam.

For sections 1, 3 and 4 guidelines have also been given on the process of writing the

answers.

42

SECTION 1: SUMMARY WRITING Key points:

Paragraph 1:

The IOM divides international migrants into two main categories: those who leave by personal

choice, and those who are trying to escape something negative in their home country.

Paragraph 2:

Most migrants come from poor countries, and leave to go to more developed countries to find

employment opportunities.

International migration has increased within the last few years.

Paragraph 3:

In Europe, the population is decreasing, and ageing. This is causing a scarcity of labour in

some sectors.

This has led to a relaxing of the “zero-immigration” policies within recent years.

Paragraph 4:

The money that migrants send to their families at home often leads to a development of the

local economy. (may be omitted if word limit does not allow)

However, there is a greater loss to the developing country if qualified people migrate.

In order to remedy this problem, these countries are developing programmes they hope will

attract migrants back home. (all of this can be replaced with the word “incentive)

This “brain drain” will persist, as long as wealthier countries need labour, and can offer

attractive salaries. (Implied in last paragraph of summary below).

Summary in Prose Form

According to the IOM there are two main groups of international migrants: those who

leave by personal choice and those seeking to escape their home country. (Paragraph 1 main

point NB, examples from passage were omitted.)

An increasing number of migrants, the majority who are from poorer countries, go to

developed countries to find jobs. (Paragraph 2 main points collapsed into one sentence.)

In the past, this practice was discouraged; however, because the population in Europe is

ageing and these countries’ manpower is decreasing, they are now attracting migrants to help

increase their labour market. (Paragraph 3 main points)

Unfortunately, the “home’ countries are losing their most qualified people, and they are

now attempting to offer incentives to attract migrants back home. (Paragraph 4 main points.)

(100 words)

43

SECTION 2: COMPREHENSION Question 2

(a) “None” refers to the Parillon Sisters.

(b) The writer believes that the Parillon men were successful in their business activities.

(c) The Parillon women did volunteer activities instead of working.

(d) Two words or phrases which show the attitude and behaviour of the Parillon women in the

general Tortola community are “aloofness”, and “air of superior apartness”.

(e) “Noblesse oblige” is put in italics to indicate that it was not an English phrase/ to show that

it is written in another language.

(f) The words “protected” and “insulated’ both express the image the writer creates from the

use of the word, “cocooned”. NB. The passage does not ask for words from the passage.

Always read the questions carefully and ensure you don’t limit yourself unnecessarily.

(g) The writer means that people felt that they had not lived a full life/ they hadn’t experienced

all that they could have experienced in their lives.

(h) The word “whisperings” suggests that the neighbours felt sorry for the sisters/pitied the

sisters.

Question 3

(a) The phrase that indicates the writer’s view of the importance of law enforcement is “crucial

to”. (NB: DO NOT quote an entire sentence if you are asked to quote a phrase. This

will lead to a needless loss of marks, even if the answer is in the quoted sentence.)

(b) “Wild claims for freedom” means the misinterpretation of freedom to mean to do whatever

you want/a desire to do whatever one wants without thought of consequences.

(c) By using the word, “ironically”, the writer is showing that it is not expected that freedom

can lead to positive as well as negative results at the same time.

(d) The negative aspect of freedom is what the writer advises us to guard against.

(e) The supreme law of a country is its Constitution.

(f) The writer considers truth to be fundamental.

(g) Making people accountable for their actions under the law and making people become

more socially responsible are needed to ensure the “safety of our future”. (Another

possible answer is the reinforcing of traditional moral and spiritual values.)

44

SECTION 3: STORY TELLING

4. (Write a story based on the picture below)

Story Plan

Before you start to write a story based on a picture, ask yourself some key questions. Brainstorm

some points that will guide your story.

Who is in the picture?

a dishevelled old man, dressed in an old suit and worn boots;

sitting, arms wrapped around legs

lopsided glasses

straggly beard

I’ll call him John Henry

Where is the person?

Seated on straw…perhaps a barn? A wooded area?

Cold atmosphere, hence the sitting position and clothes?

May be sheltering from weather?

What is the person’s problem/How did he get there?

Worked hard all his life but became an alcoholic

Has hit rock bottom?

What will my story’s climax: The day he lost everything…

Resolution: He decides to change his life.

First person or third person narrative? Third…

Story structure:

Begin with description of present setting/character…make reader pity him…incorporate his

thoughts and feelings (two or three paragraphs)

Flashback to his glory days…make him do something terrible…steal? Hit wife? Lose house? (two

or three paragraphs)

End with decision to change life…

45

4) John Henry opened his eyes and slowly sat up from the uncomfortable position in which he

had fallen asleep the night before. When he had stumbled into the clearing in the woods, the straw

on the ground had looked like a king’s mattress. That’s what alcohol does. It makes the most

intelligent man a fool.

“That’s what I am,” John thought to himself. “I’m a doddering old fool!”

John sighed. His old grey jacket and ancient woollen pants could no longer defend him

against the chilly air. Slowly, painfully, he drew his thin legs up to his chest, hoping to feel some

warmth, but only feeling an overwhelming sense of stupidity.

“What am I doing here?” his raspy voice echoed through the morning air. Of course, no

one answered, because he had pushed them all out of his life.

John drew his legs tighter against himself, the veins on his sixty year old hands standing

out like dirt tracks on an abandoned road. His worn, once-black boots scraped against the ground;

the sound adding to the annoying chirp of a noisy cricket who had decided that it was his time to

sing.

John bent his head in defeat; his thick, rimmed glasses perched crookedly on his pointy

nose. It was hard to believe that this pitiful man had once had a devoted wife, and two perfect

children. John’s mouth twisted into a grimace as the memories surfaced..

He remembered the first day he drank alcohol. He was eighteen and trying to impress his

friends. How it had burned his throat! But somehow, you forget that part of it. What he

remembered was that after a few of those drinks his shyness vanished, and he became the perfect

entertainer. It was during one of his clownish performances that he had met and charmed the

woman who would eventually become his wife.

John sighed. “Ah Claire,” he said, as he stared at the toes of his boots. “You didn’t deserve

a husband like me.” He closed his eyes, but couldn’t erase the memory of the pain etched on

Claire’s face when he would drunkenly call her all the foul names he could think of.

Letting go of his legs, John passed his hands through his dishevelled hair, trying to silence

the memory of his children’s screams.

“Please Daddy! Don’t beat me! I promise I’ll behave! Daddy, what did I do?”

Twenty five years is a long time for anyone to endure such horror. When he was sober,

John understood that and would beg them to forgive him. They always would.

Then, one day he came home, and they were gone.

46

“I can’t take it anymore,” Claire’s note had read.” I don’t want to die, and I don’t want my

children to die. Goodbye.”

John tried to drown his sorrows for two years after that. He stopped caring about

everything. First he lost his car, then his house, but still he drank.

And now, here he was, an old drunk nobody wanted.

Tears formed in John’s eyes, his shoulders heaving as an avalanche of regret fell over him.

Resting his palms on the ground, John pushed himself up to a standing position. With a

sudden moment of clarity, he enunciated, “I…will…not…die…”

Slowly, he walked toward the sunlight.

(544 words)

A few key points to remember about story writing during exams

Always remember to include the question number at the side of your question.

Always try to incorporate aspects of the picture into your story: the person’s dress, facial

expressions, aspects of the setting etc.

Don’t just report what happened to the character. Try to let him or her feel an emotion or

express a thought in between the narration of what is happening. This breaks the monotony,

and prevents the story from sounding like a newspaper report.

Remember this is supposed to be a story and not a description, so don’t just describe what

is happening in the picture. Include the elements of short story writing (problem, climax,

resolution etc.) Build these things into your story plan.

Remember that conversation helps a person to come alive (even when he or she is alone).

Although the picture does not lend itself to the use of the local Caribbean dialect, do not be

afraid to use it, if it fits the character and the story.)

The word count is put there to give you a guide as to what 500 plus words look like. This

was easy because the story was written using a Word Processing program. Do not waste

time counting the words in your story. Approximately 2 sides and a half of written text on a

folder page should suffice.

While writing your essay, try to track your time. Give yourself roughly 45 minutes to write

your story. By the end of half an hour, you should have at least reached close to the climax

of your story (unless you chose to start with your climax and work your way back).

47

SECTION 4: ARGUMENT

7. “Military service and training for at least five years should be compulsory for all young men

between the ages of 15 and 25 who are not engaged in studying and gainful employment.”

Write a letter to your local newspaper giving your views on this issue.

Always try to jot down all the ideas that come to you, before you write this essay. It’s

a good idea to record the ideas for, as well as against the issue. This enables you to

rebut opposing views.

Remember that you may not be able to use all of the points that you brainstormed

because of time. You usually have about 35 minutes to complete this essay, which

means that you may only have time for about 5 paragraphs or so: an introduction, a

discussion of three main points and a conclusion.

Remember too that you don’t have to agree with the proposed statement. You will not

be penalised for arguing against it, once you present strong arguments.

For

Against

Encourages discipline in young

men

Instils a sense of discipline

Keeps the unemployed from

becoming idle and turning to crime

(this training is for people who are

not studying or gainfully employed.

Encourages a sense of pride in

country and civil responsibility

Provides opportunities for future

employment

A person’s right to free choice is

undermined. Five years of training

are a long time!

Encourages a culture of violence

among young men/glamorises

instruments of war (guns, tanks

etc.)

Does not take into consideration

that some people are just not “cut

out” to be involved in army

activities. What about the provision

of other programmes for them?

48

The following pages contain the completed essay.

7)

The Editor

The Daily News

29th

November 2007

I believe that is an excellent idea to make military training compulsory for young men who

are not studying or employed. For too long, young males have idly sat down after school sponging

off their long suffering parents, or angrily demanding that the government should “do something”

for them. Five years of training may seem like a long time to some, but these five years could go a

long way towards encouraging discipline and a sense of responsibility in these young men.

Military training can also provide career guidance to young men who may not know what to do

with their lives.

Some may argue that young men in the free world have the right to choose their careers.

However, presently, lawful citizens in our “free country” are being held hostage, both literally and

figuratively by young, unemployed, uneducated men, who have refused to exercise the principles

of hard work and discipline in their lives.

While free choice for all is a wonderful ideal, young men also need discipline. If they have

reached a point in their lives where they are not studying, or have not found gainful employment,

then it is time for the country to prevent them from falling victim to recruiting drug dealers and

gang members. It is time for them to learn about structure and life consequences. All of which they

will learn in the army.

Joining the military could also instil a sense of civic responsibility into these young men.

People in the military are taught that they must fiercely defend their country from anyone who puts

it at risk. This kind of training is needed for young men who feel that their country owes them

something, just because they are breathing. The notion of giving back to the nation should be one

of the fruits of military training.

Military training will not only instil a sense of discipline and civil responsibility in its

recruits, it also opens doors of employment for them. There is a lot more to military training than

learning to fire a gun during war. In these days of technology, there is also training in aviation,

engineering, and computer programming. For some young men who have lost their way in society,

exposure to this kind of training could lead to eventual specialisation and employment in any one

49

of these areas. Isn’t this much better than “hanging out” on the block waiting for idle minds and

hands to do damage to our beloved country?

In conclusion, some may feel that compulsory military training is too harsh. However, the

curtailing of a young man’s freedom for a few years with the potential benefit of instilling

discipline, civil responsibility and creating employment would be worth it – for the young men, as

well as the country.

50

SECTION A


You MUST answer question 1.

1. Read the following newspaper article on university education and then write a summary of

it in NOT MORE THAN 120 words. If this limit is exceeded, only the first 120 words of your

answer will be read and assessed. As far as possible, use your own words. Your summary must be

in continuous prose. You may use your answer booklet to jot down a plan of your points or make

notes. THIS WILL NOT BE MARKED.



(b) organized and expressed these ideas

(c) used appropriate grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation

By the late 1990’s, several countries had decided that university education would no longer be

mainly for the middle and upper classes. The time had come to offer it to whoever wanted it.

Unfortunately, this wish to offer higher education to all is proving difficult to achieve, especially in

countries now facing financial difficulties that affect employment and salaries.

For the first time, in more than an decade, politicians are daring to say publicly what many in the

society are thinking: that it may not have been wise to throw open the doors to university

education. The offer of university education has encouraged unrealistic hopes and reinforced the

idea that a university education is vital for all – which a growing chorus of advocates disputes.

Students have been told they have to go to university if they want to get a good job, but they’re

now finding it’s going to be very difficult.

Placed under pressure by the increasing numbers seeking admission, universities are pressing for

hefty raises in the tuition fees, but governments are cash-strapped. Governments could set an

upper limit on the number of university places as experts have suggested is necessary, but many

students would be disappointed. Yet experts see this as a necessary correction.

51

Another unfortunate development noted by academics and students, and causing much grumbling

is that standards are sliding. This follows form the rising numbers and lower entry requirements.

Too much time is now needed for remedial training to bring students up to the basic level needed

for a degree. After all, as Frank Furedi, professor of sociology at the University of Kent puts it, a

degree is not necessarily the benchmark of a good education.

Politicians and professors are also beginning to ask whether we are producing too many graduates

In the wrong subjects, the problem, put simply, is that we cannot supply enough jobs to match our

university output. “We are distorting the labour market,” says Anastasia de Waal, author of

“Unqualified Success”, an upcoming study of the UK’s universities. “We have made a lot of jobs

that weren’t considered graduate jobs, into graduate jobs, and that squeezes the opportunities for

those that don’t have degrees.”

Adapted from Williams Underhill, “The Great Retreat”

Newsweek, August 10 & 17, 2009, pp. 39-40.

52

SECTION B


Answer both Questions 2 and 3.


Country Baskets

“We arrived in unbearable humidity under a golden orange and blue sunset. We took a taxi to

a local hotel. For two weeks my mother, my sister and I lived in a double-occupancy room,

watching as out funds dwindled to nothing. When we didn’t even have enough left to buy

food, we had no choice but to go to a shelter. This turned out to be a house of madness,

5 packed with frustrated adults, crying babies and bored, restless children.

One of the hardest thing to get used to was the lack of privacy. In a shelter, strangers watch

you all the time, even in the bathroom, which is usually communal. It was as if we had

stepped into the pit of hell. My mom discovered that she wasn’t eligible for any social

programmes because she and quit her job voluntarily. That’s when we started travelling

10 to different states, trying to find social services that would keep us afloat. My mom found out

about a state that would cut you a welfare cheque within days if you were homeless with kids,

so we went there. Then we would go to another state, another shelter, another welfare line,

chasing another cheque. We lived on food stamps and those cheques, which we’d cash to buy

things we needed, like bus tickets to another state, where my mother was convinced

15 a better life awaited us. To my surprise, homeless was an epidemic in every state we

visited.

The story my mother told was that she had divorced and was fleeing an abusive husband.

School officials always bought the story, because despite our circumstances, my mother was

college educated, and she always dressed and spoke well. If I tried to tell them the truth

20 about how we were living, they dismissed me as a rebellious teenager.

I couldn’t stand the thought of getting on another bus, waiting in another welfare line, or

sleeping in another shelter or cheap hotel. I hated the way people looked at us when we

carried our bags stuffed with all our belongings through the streets. I couldn’t imagine things

getting any worse. But one night , they did.

Adapted from L. Ballard, “God Bless the Child”.

Essence, September 2006, pp. 169-170.

53

(a) What does the expression “funds dwindled to nothing” (line 3) mean? (1 mark)

(b) (I) Name the literacy device used in the expression “homelessness was an

epidemic” (line 15). (1 mark)

(ii) Why does the writer use the expression? (2 marks)

(c) What effect does the writer achieve by using the words “another state, another shelter,

another welfare line” (lines 12-13)? (2 mark)

(d) (I) According to paragraph 2, what step did the mother take which created hardship

for the family? (1 mark)

(ii) List TWO ways in which the family was affected because of the mother’s

action. (2 marks)

(e) Identify an example of sarcasm in paragraph 2. (1 marks)

(f) What does the phrase “always bought the story” (line 18) tell you about the narrator’s

mother? (2 marks)

(g) What is the narrator’s attitude to the situation described in the passage? (2 marks)

(h) What is the purpose of the last short sentence in the passage? (2 marks)

Total 15 marks

54


Yoga is a commonly known term for physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines which had

their beginnings in Ancient India. The practice of yoga was once thought to be only for the very

flexible, but today it is used by people all over the planet, with a single goal: to combine the forces

of the mind, body and spirit, so as to strengthen the self and find inner peace. Yoga takes

5 many different forms: gentle, aligning and calming or fast, hot and challenging, purists or adapted

to particular needs.

Nowadays, more people use the physical postures of yoga to reduce stress and health

problems, and make the spine supple. Yoga is also used as a complete exercise program and

physical therapy routine. Studies have tried to determine the effectiveness of yoga as a

10 complementary treatments for cancer, asthma and heart problems.

Practitioners of yoga in the Caribbean have sought to add a local flavour, especially where

it is offered to tourists seeking to return to good health through a holiday in the region. There are

tranquil air-conditioned areas, but Caribbean Yoga instructors can take their students outside into

completely natural surroundings. Since we are blessed with beautiful weather most of the year,

15 yoga studios in the region are mostly open-air: sunny verandas, breezy rooms. Classes might trek

occasionally to hilltops, coasts or countryside hideaways for a change of scene or a day-long retreat.

The traditional methods of yoga are still very much a part of the Caribbean as well.

Chinese and Indian practitioners incorporate meditation, introspection and contemplation as

20 integral parts of the daily routines; they place less emphasis on physical postures, and more on

spiritual teaching. Yoga brings benefits. It encourages everyone to realize their creative power,

and to experience the real joy of achievement. When people tap into their mental and emotional

strengths, they can use them in every aspect of their lives. Yoga is therefore planting seeds of

social change.

Adapted from Denise Chin, “A Path to Inner Peace”,

Caribbean Beat No. 116 July/August 2012, pp. 62-63.

55

(a) According to the passage, where did yoga originate? (1 mark)

(b) Why does the writer use the word “but” in line 3? (1 mark)

(c) Select TWO words from paragraph 1 which indicate contrast. (1 mark)

(d) What phrase in paragraph 1 conveys the idea that yoga encourages person to experience

fulfilment? (3 marks)

(e) What does the writer mean by the expression “yoga as a complementary treatment…..”

(lines 9-10)? (2 marks)

(f) (i) Explain the word “flavour” as used in line 11. (1 mark)

(ii) What is the Caribbean “flavour” that was added to yoga? (2 mark)

(g) Quote TWO statements from paragraph 3 which BEST illustrate differences between yoga

in the Caribbean and yoga in other places. (2 marks)

(h) (i) Select ONE word from paragraph 4 which indicates the spiritual aspect of yoga.

(1 marks)

(ii) Which statement in paragraph 4 BEST shows that yoga has more than just

personal benefits? (1 mark)

Total 15 marks

56

SECTION A


You MUST answer the question in this section.

1. Read the following article on the moon and write a summary of it in NOT MORE THAN 120

words. Your summary must be in continuous prose. You may use your answer booklet to jot

down a plan of your points or make notes.

THIS WILL NOT BE MARKED.



(b) organized and expressed these ideas

(c) used appropriate grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation

For centuries the moon has been associated with various activities, phases and conditions in

life. Insanity is an example – the word ‘lunatic’ comes from the Latin word for moon. ‘luna’. In

Britain, the Lunacy Act of 1824 actually stated that people went mad when the moon was full.

Today, despite the fact that may of the myths have been found to be invalid, the moon still grips our

imaginations and we are still caught between scientific and poetic attitudes to the moon.

Researchers continue to study the moon, and many believe that there are clear links between its

cycle, natural events and human activities like agriculture, crime, and even our health.

The human body is 70% water, and since the moon has gravitational effect on water, the

moon should therefore affect our bodies. The fact is, our moon has gravity which is about one-sixth

of that on earth, and although that force is considered very small by the time it reaches us, it still

has an amazingly powerful effect on our planet. For instance, the moon’s gravitational pull causes

the tides, shifting billion of tons of water twice a day. But lunar gravity only works on large

masses, such as oceans. It has no effect on even very large lakes. So how can it affect us?

Scientists accept the strange effect the moon seems to have on reproduction: on marine life

it affects the breeding patterns of oysters and crabs; with women it affects the menstrual cycle.

Midwives say that they are busier delivering babies around the full moon, though this is not

confirmed by scientific statistics.

One of the oldest beliefs is that a full moon can turn someone who is sane into a mad

person. The story “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” was inspired by this belief. An investigation in Miami

suggests that the homicide rate peaks with the full moon; in India there seems to be much more

violent crime around the time when the moon is full, but this might be influenced by their strong

interest in astrology. Psychiatric nurses say patients become more disturbed when the moon is full,

and firemen report more cases of arson. The large number of anecdotes has inspired scientific

research, and though it indeed shows a correlation between changed behaviour and the full moon,

conclusions are mixed.

57

A lecturer is medical psychology, Dr. David Nias, has suggested that the shifts in behaviour

are explained by the small number of people who believe in the “full moon effect” and change their

behaviour accordingly; in much the same way as believers in astrology might modify their

behaviour to match that associated with the star signs.

Adapted from J. Rahim, “New Moons and Old Wives’

Tales, Reflections on the Moon”, British Airways

Highlife, August 1998, pp. 127-128.

58

SECTION B


Answer ALL questions in this section.


Country Baskets

“Hard Life” was an ill-mannered visitor who came to call on you in order to search up your

cupboard when your back was turned so that it could go and tell everyone how things were bad

with you. Hard Life would have trapped you if it were not for your own strength, and for the ties of

blood, the generosity of some relatives who, as soon as they heard you were living hard

5 life in the city, began to send you regular food baskets.

All over the city happiness and contentment would be generated in cramped tenements with

the arrival of these baskets sent by friends and relatives in the country. Families would partake of

generous oily-mouthed feasts, and children would be told stories about life in the village where this

food came from. Normally ill-tempered mothers, nerves frayed form hard life

10 in town and fathers burdened by hard work or lack of employment, would become carefree children

again as they enjoyed the sense of ease and plenty generated by the thoughtfulness of those back

home in the country. “See this soursop here? It come from a tree that my grandfather plant and my

navel string bury at the root.” These food baskets were brought to the city on the backs of market

trucks, or labelled and loaded onto the train and watched over by kind considerate

15 conductresses who knew they were doing a form of angel-work by delivering them. The

conductresses knew how gratefully, eagerly, the people in the city greeted the arrival of the country

baskets filled with fresh, life-sustaining things to eat.

Out family began to receive regular baskets form Harvey River s soon as my mother’s

relatives found out she was living in the city, and the first thing she would do when she opened

20 one of them was to pass on some of the food to others who were even more in need. She would

also share our good fortune with others whenever we received the sweet-smelling parcels that

contained clothes, shoes, books, toys and “delicacies” like sweets and biscuits form her sisters

Albertha and Rose in Canada.

Adapted from Harvey River:

A Memoir of My Mother and Her Island,

Lorna Goodison, 2007, pp. 183-185.

59

(a) State ONE action from paragraph 1 which shows that “Hard Life was an ill-mannered

visitor” (line1). (1 mark)

(b) Why can the visit of “Hard Life” be viewed as ironic? (2 marks)

(c) What is the writer’s purpose in the first paragraph? (1 mark)

(d) From paragraph 2, identify THREE effects of the arrival of the food basket. (3 marks)

(e) What feeling does the writer evoke by the statement “See this soursop her..bury at the

Root” (lines 12-13)? (1 marks)

(f) What effect does the writer achieve by linking the conductresses with the angels?

(2 marks)

(g) What word could BEST describe the mother’s character, based on her actions in paragraph

3? (2 marks)

(h) What evidence in paragraph 3 indicates that the people of Harvey River felt that life in the

city was difficult for the narrator’s family? (1 marks)

(i) Quote ONE phrase which the writer uses to suggest the negative effects of hard life on

individuals. (1 marks)

Total 15 marks

60


The term “fast food” generally refers to packaged convenience food that can be prepared very

quickly because it is precooked/preheated for restaurants and takeaway stores primarily located in

urban areas. Fast foods commonly contain highly refined, processed, and artificial ingredients that are

high in fats, sugars, and salt, which make them unhealthy and deadly when excessively

5 consumed, It’s official: the most harmful and life threatening diets originate from Western nations.

The USA has the largest fast food industry in the world that employs approximately 2 million workers,

according to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics. The US also spends more on fast foods/convenience

meals than any other country in spite of the obesity epidemic. The Centre for Disease Control and

Prevention, states that “More than one-third of US adults are obese.

10 Approximately 12.5 million children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese.” According to

the US Department of Health and Human Services, unhealthy eating inactivity cause nearly half a

million deaths every year. Tobacco and alcohol follow. Yet most highly processed fast or snack foods,

loaded with deadly ingredients, do not carry a serious health warning, as tobacco products are required

to do by law.

15 The UK is the largest consumer in Europe of ready meals and fast foods, and not surprisingly,

has one of the highest rates of heart disease in the world, responsible for 40% of premature deaths of

men (dying before the age of retirement). In a 2010 report, the National Institute for Health and

Clinical Excellence (NICE), stated that more than 40,000 Britons are dying unnecessarily every year

because of high levels of salt and fat in their diets from fast foods.

20 A 2011 study published in The Lancet, the world’s leading general medical journal, notes that

more than 350 million people in the world now have diabetes, one of the biggest cause of mortality

worldwide. Scientists claim that the problem with diabetes should be blamed on the spread of a fast

food diet to developing nations.

Adapted from Next Generation, Issue No. 7,

April – June 2012, p.60.

61

(a) State TWO reasons why some foods are described as “fast foods”. (2 mark)

(b) What is the writer’s intention in using the expression “Its official” (line 5) (2 marks)

(c) What is the writer’s attitude to the effects of fast food consumption as expressed in lines 8-

14? (1 mark)

(d) (i) What does the writer suggest should be done about fast foods? (3 marks)

(ii) Write the sentence which suggests the action stated in (i) above (1 marks)

(e) Explain what is meant by the phrase “obesity epidemic” (line 8) as used in the extract

(2 marks)

(f) What does the writer imply by indicating “that more than 40,000 Britons are dying

unnecessarily” (line 18)? (2 marks)

(g) Why does the writer give information from agencies such as the US Department of Labour

and the Centres for Disease Control? (1 marks)

(h) What is the writer’s purpose in the extract? (1 marks)

Total 15 marks

62

SECTION A


Answer Question 1.

Write your answer on the RULED PAGE provided. There is a blank page for any notes

you may want to make. THIS WILL NOT BE MARKED.

1. Read the following magazine article carefully and then write a summary of it in

NOT MORE THAN 120 words. If this limit is ex ceded, only the first 120 words of

your answer will be read and assessed. As far as possible, use your own words.

Your summary must be in continuous prose.



(b) organized and expressed these ideas in your own words

(c) used appropriate grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, spelling and

Punctuation.

Consumerism

A popular and simple definition of ‘consumerism’ might be: the buying and

using of goods and services. It is behaviour encouraged by those with something to

sell or trade. We are all traders, selling and buying everything because everything can

be turned into a commodity. Consuming involves conscious choices and we are called

upon to be responsible. This view provides us with a useful perspective from which to

analyse our behaviour.

Responsible consumers weigh up the pros and cons of their choices. Each

choice has different consequences. We are active consumers of the food that will affect

our health; we are active and passive consumers of the news that will influence our

thinking on a variety of subjects. Our choices are based on information as to w hat are

good choices in any of the things we make decisions about. There are situations,

however, where fact ors over which we have had no control have limited our ability to

choose and to act responsibly. For instance, the choices made in the past by our

parents, teachers and leaders of other generations have affected our capacity, and our

ability to make decisions.

We may have voted for, or accepted some action proposed by the church or

school, and now, we are passively consuming the consequences of the actions our

leaders took on our behalf. We may not any longer think these actions are responsible.

Based on the information we had, we thought we were able to choose wisely, but now

we are not sure, and we must live with the consequences of our choice. Whether we

like it or not, we participate in a network of choices in which we exercise responsibility,

s individuals, on the future choices of others.

63

Information and communication devices can force us into giving instantaneous,

insufficiently considered Reponses. If we give in to the pressure, we find ourselves

caving in to mindless instant consumerism. However, we still have the ability to

choose to defer or postpone a decision, in order to improve our ability to choose by

gathering more information, and by reflecting objectively on the available choices,

before we consume.

Adapted from Majmako Dei, “Consumerism &Response-Ability, Nex Generation.

Empowering the Caribbean Family and Commu nity. Issue No 6

64

SECTION B


Answer both Questions 2 and 3

2. Read the following poem carefully and then answer all the questions that follow.

Write answer on the ruled lines provided after each question.

Summer Morn in Hampshire

All yesterday it poured, and all night long

I could not sleep: the rain unceasing beat

Upon the shingled roof like a weird song,

Upon the grass like running children’s feet.

5 And down the mountains by the dark cloud kissed,

Like a strange shape in filmy veiling dressed.

Slid slowly, silently, the wraith-like mist,

And nestled softly against the earth’s wet breast.

But, lo there was a miracle at dawn!

10 The still air stirred at touch of the faint breeze.

The sun a sheet of gold bequeathed the lawn,

The songsters twittered in t he rustling trees.

And all things were transfigured in the day.

But me whom radiant beauty could not move;

15 For you, more wonderful, were far away,

And I was blind with hunger for your love.

Adapted from Claude McKay.

Selected Poems of Claude McKay.

Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1953, p. 16.

(a) Identify TWO senses to which the poet appeals in stanza 1.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

65

(b) For EACH sense you identified in (a) on page 8, quote an appropriate example from

the stanza.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

(c) Name the literary device which the poet uses MOST in stanza 1 and quote ONE

example from the stanza to support your answer.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

(d) According to stanza 2, what caused the character’s mood?

__________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

(e) What is the difference in atmosphere between stanza 1 and stanza 2?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

(f) What expression does the poet use to prepare the reader for the change in stanza 2?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

66

(g) What was the “miracle” (line 9) that happened at dawn?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

(h) Identify the device used in “The sun a sheet of gold” (line 11).

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

(1 marks)

Total 15 marks

67


Write your answer on the ruled lines provided after each question.

Walks of Life

As India’s poor pay a deadly price for the country’s population growth and spiralling

development, the launch of Emeralds for Elephants India 2011 was an urgent bide to save

human lives and protect threatened wildlife. The project saw 10 of India’s top designers

create a special collection of emerald jewellery, to be auctioned at Sotheby’s, at an exclusive

5 event in the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, India.

Behind the glamour of Emeralds for Elephants, there was the plight of a third of the world’s

poorest people. As India’s natural landscape disappears, making way for new roads, housing

and industry, people are often forced to live in the migration paths of animals, traditional

routes that the animals have used for generations. This is intensifying the conflict between

10 people and wildlife. The result is inevitable: 200 elephants were killed by humans last year,

while 500 people were killed by elephants.

The World Land Trust, a UK based conservation charity, is working in partnership with the

Wildlife trust of India to create protected wildlife corridors connecting national parks and

protected areas. The Emeralds for Elephants project saw the two charities team up with

15 Gemfields, the leading coloured-gemstone mining company, to create wildlife corridors.

The Wildlife Trust of India also helps move people out of harm’s way through voluntary

relocation. The need for this was highlighted when, between October and March 2011,

tigers killed seven people from villages settled within a migration route in Uttarakhand.

The positive news is that, because of the tiger attacks, villagers are now in favour of moving

20 away from the migration routes, and the local government and the Forest and Wildlife

Departments gave their full permission for the Wildlife trust of India to begin turning the

area into a protected wildlife corridor.

Vivek Menon, Wildlife Trust of India’s executive director, said: “You can’t continue to

have over a billion people live in such close proximity to 65 per cent of the world’s largest

tigers, 85 per cent of the elephants in Asia, and 90 per cent of the rhinos in Asia. These

animals need space. I have only one solution: give them space.”

68

(a) State TWO objectives of Emeralds for Elephants India 2011 identified in paragraph 1.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

(b) What is the meaning of “exclusive” as used in line 4?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(1 mark)

(c) What implied by the phrase “Behind the glamour” (line 6)?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(1 mark)

(d) According to paragraph 2, what is the impact of development on the people?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

(e) Name TWO activities that are undertaken by the Wildlife Trust of India.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

(f) What, according to the passage, are “protected wildlife corridors” (line 13)?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

69

(g) Why does the writer use the expression “positive news” (lines 18-19) with reference to the

tiger attacks?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

(h) What effect does the writer hope to create by using the statistics in paragraph 5?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

Total15 marks

70

SECTION A


Answer Question 1.

Write your answer on the RULED PAGE provided. There is a space for any notes you may

want to make. THIS WILL NOT BE MARKED.

1. Read the following magazine article carefully and then write a summary of it in NOT

MORE THAN 120 words. If this limit is exceeded, only the first 120 words of your

answer will be read and assessed. As far as possible, use your own words. Your

summary must be in continuous prose.



(b) organized and expressed these ideas and opinions

(c) used appropriate grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation.

Carifesta and Caribbean Diversity

Despite their geographical closeness and their common history, the common history, the

countries of the Caribbean are richly diverse and take pride in their diversity. Cricket is popularly

seen as the activity t hat brings them together, but the cultural festival, Carifesta, is just as effective in

a different way. The main purpose of Carifesta is to gather artist, musicians and authors, and to

exhibit the folkloric and artistic manifestations of the Caribbean and Latin American region, in an

international multicultural event organized on a periodic basis by the countries of the Caribbean.

The idea of a Caribbean art festival was first proposed at a convention of writers and artists

held in 1970 in Guyana. It involved a vision of the region’s peoples with roots deep in Asia, Europe

and Africa, coming together to share their art forms, literature inspired by the Caribbean’s own

peculiar temperament painting drawn from the awe inspiring tropical ecology and the visionary

inheritance of our forefathers.

Two years later, Carifesta I was billed as a grand cultural exposition and was held in Guyana

with almost 1 -000 participants from 30 countries in the Caribbean, Central and South America. It

was originally hoped that Carifesta would be held every two years in a different country, but the

second festival, in Jamaica, did not take place until 1976. It was followed by a Cuban Carifesta in

1979, then Carifesta IV in Barbados in 1981. Various problems prevented the staging of other

festivals until 1992. Jamaica was due to host the fifth Carifesta in 1988 but economic problems and

the ravages of Hurricane Gilbert made it impossible. The islands of Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis

and Antigua and Barbuda offered to co-host the festival in 1989, but the idea was not practicable.

Subsequent festivals were hosted in Trinidad, St. Kitts and Nevis, Suriname and The Bahamas.

Carifesta aims to depict the lives and heritage of people of the region, show their similarities

and their difference, and by creating a climate in which arts can flourish, persuade artists who have

migrated for their art’s sake, to return to the region.

71

The Carifesta slogan, selected after a regional contest, was created by a Guyanese who lives in

Jamaica. It aptly sums up Carifesta and is vision: “Sea of sounds, medley of images, world of

peoples, common heritage”

Total 30 marks

72

SECTION B


Answer Question 2 and 3.

2. Read the passage below carefully and then answer all the questions that follow. Write your answer

on the ruled lines provided after each question.

When he had resolved the threatening conflict in his stomach, Paul stood up and placed his

ear against the door. Al sounds seem3ed to be coming from the front of the house. He inched the

door open gingerly, and seeing that nobody was in the vicinity, with hands outstretched for support

from the walls on both sides of the passage, he began feeling his way towards the room

5 in which they were dancing.

Bright-eyed young people spun and writhed before him in a confusion of movement and

colour, while the older, more sedate couples glided effortlessly between the gyrating figures, lost in

the smoothness of their rhythm. Then, suddenly, it was not only the dancers who were moving;

grey streaks like heavy rain shot across his vision, and the music receded in the background and

10 was replaced by a monotonous, low humming in his ears. Then the whole room began to turn.

Around and around, and around; his head seemed to be revolving with rapidly increasing

momentum through a narrowing tunnel of sound in ever tightening spirals – faster, faster, faster.

Where to? He fought down the mounting pangs of nausea and pushed his head back hard against

the wall, fixing his eyes on the illuminated text opposite him God is the Head of the is House. It

15 was as if he was standing in a constantly shaken kaleidoscope. And then slowly, it gained control

over his own internal movement, and he was able to separate the stationary objects from the dancers

who continued to move, swaying and twisting.

As Paul watched, he noticed that some dancers glanced occasionally in his direction and

then turned and whispered to their partners, who looked at him with furtive, suppressed smiles

20 But, although these smiles were directed at him, they did not invite his participation. He inspected

his clothing, but could find no possible cause of mirth. But hen they were not quite smiles of mirth.

They were rather the sort that set him apart…that isolated him. As he watched, he longed to

participate, to be accepted as one of them.

Adapted from A. Wannenbaugh,

An Anthology of African and Caribbean Writing in English,

J.J. Figuera (Ed.), Heinemann Educational Books, 1982, pp. 24-25.

73

(a) What problem had Paul been experiencing according to the words “When he had resolved

the threatening conflict in his stomach” (line 1)?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(1 mark)

(b) What does the word “gingerly” (line 3) suggest about Paul’s actions?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(1 mark)

(c) Explain, in your own words, the contrast described in lines 6-8.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

(d) Quote the specific expression from paragraph 2 which suggests that Paul’s earlier problem

was not resolved.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(1 mark)

74

(e) What word or phrase can be used to replace the word “receded” in line 9?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(1 mark)

(f) (i) What is the effect of the writer’s use of repetition in “Around and around, and

around and around” (line 11) and “faster, faster, faster” (line 12)?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

(ii) How did Paul bring his problem under control?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

(g) What was the attitude of the dancers towards Paul?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

(h) (i) What word can be used to describe Paul’s feeling as he saw the dancers’ smiles?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

(1 mark)

75

(ii) Quote TWO expressions which show that Paul understood that he would not be

invited to the dance.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

Total 15 marks

76

Read the passage below carefully then answer all the questions that follow. Write your

answer on the ruled lines provided after each question.

Formal education commonly referred to as schooling, can be defined as a country’s system

of compulsory teaching and learning. But as one writer suggested, there is a difference between

schooling and education. The objective of schooling is to reinforce what exists in society and this

is largely influenced by what governments do through the availability of resources. Education is

5 a broader learning activity not confined to the classroom.

Schools, colleges and universities have long carried out the business of formal education by

using the traditional ‘chalk and talk’ teaching methods, In recent times, however, this education

has been changed by the introduction of technologies by which the students themselves are

involved in acquiring knowledge. Chalk and talk approaches in front of a class with students in

the same place

10 have been replaced by the technology that allows students to participate from any location at any

time.

Despite this introduction of the latest technologies, education still has to encourage students

to change the way they look at the world. No matter how important formal education is and what

happens in the classroom, the discovery of self and the mastery of life skills take place both inside

15 and outside the formal classroom. Too much emphasis is placed on achieving academic success

and far too often one’s place in society is based on academic achievements.

Academic qualifications alone cannot satisfy an individual’s need to be recognized and

respected, and to develop healthy social relationships. Formal education should not only seek to

satisfy qualifications for employment, but should provide the opportunities for individuals to

20 make meaningful contributions to their communities and the wider society. Formal education

means little if students cannot find a place where they can be recognized and valued in a world that

is very materialistic.

Adapted from Sandra Richards,

“Assessing the Role of Education in the Real World”,

Nex Generation, Issue No. 5, Autumn 2011, p. 24.

77

(a) According to paragraph 1, what is formal education?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(1 mark)

(b) What word can he used to replace “objective” in line 3?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(1 mark)

(c) According to the passage, what are TWO advantages of using technology over “chalk and

talk” (line 7)?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(2 mark)

(d) Apart from satisfying “qualifications for employment” (line 19), give THREE examples

from the passage that highlight the writer’s view of what formal education should allow

students to do.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(3 mark)

78

(e) Identify TWO outcomes of formal education that the writer suggests are over-emphasized.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(2 mark)

(e) Identify TWO outcomes of formal education that the writer suggests are over-emphasized.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(2 mark)

(f) What is implied by the expression “not only” (line 18)?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(2 mark)

(g) Quote TWO examples from the final paragraph that sum up the writer’s view of what

individuals require from education.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

79

(2 mark)

(h) What is the writer’s MAIN purpose in this passage?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(2 mark)

Total 15 marks)

80

January, 2016

Question 1 Summary

Consumerism refers to the activity of buying and selling in which we all participate.

Responsible consumerism requires the application of information to decision making.

Choices have consequences and if we make the choices we must live with the

consequences.

Choices are sometimes made using information or conditions set down by others. These

early decisions affect what we can now know, and condition how we choose. Choices that

may have once been wise may no longer be.

The choice we make become part of a network, in which our choices affect others.

Modern technology, with its insistence on immediate response, can negatively affect our

ability to make wise choices, so we need to resist, while we explore all the information.

Sample Summaries

1. Since we buy, sell and use goods and services, we are consumers. In choosing or buying we are

expected to use the ability to make responsible decisions. This ability and responsibility allows us

to analyse our behaviour as consumers. Recognizing that each choice has consequences with

which we will need to live, we apply knowledge to help us choose. Sometimes, we are hampered

by decisions made by others, which affect what we can know or do. Our ability to choose and to

act responsibly is affected by a network of choices. In addition, modern technology which insists

on immediate response, can negatively affect our ability to make wise choices, unless we resist,

while we explore all the information. 119

2. “Consumerism” can be defined as the buying and selling of goods and services. We are

considered to be consumers. Consuming requires us to make proper choices and also provides us

with an opportunity to examine our behaviour. As responsible consumers we must look at the

advantages and disadvantages of our choices, and the consequences that could follow. Usually, our

choices will be based on information, but there are some situations over which we have no control.

In addition, modern technology pressures us into giving immediate, impulsive responses and this

can negatively affect our ability to choose wisely. If we want to make the right choice, we must do

our research and reflect objectively on our choices before we consume. 120

3. We are all consumers and, as such, have to make choices which will affect how we and others

live. Since such choices will inevitably affect us positively or negatively we gather information

and, wherever possible, try to make what seems at the time to be the choice which will benefit us

the most. Since we are all connected, our ability to choose wisely depends on the choices others

made before, based on the information they had. In turn, our choices may negatively affect others.

In addition, modern technology which demands instant consumerism, tries to force us into making

impulsive decisions. However, we must not give in, but try to explore all options before we decide.

81

Question 2 Comprehension

(a) Two examples of sensory appeal made in stanza one: hearing, sight, feeling, touch, movement.

(b) Hearing: unceasing beat/ running children’s feet/ silently

Sight: dark cloud/ filmy veiling/ wraith-like mist

Feeling/Touch: nestled softly/wet breast

Movement: running, skid, nestled

Accept a word that is a clear reference to one of the senses

(c) Simile

Any one of the following: ‘like a weird song’/’like running children’s feet’/’like a strange’

Award 1 mark for simile, 1 mark for the quotation

(d) The absence of the person he loves causes the poet’s mood/his lover was far away.

(e) Stanza 1 conveys a mood of gloominess, mystery and coldness, while Stanza 2 suggests

warmth, brightness and excitement. (Answers must refer to both sets of lines)

(f) ‘But/‘But, lo’ (No mark for quoting the full line)

(g) The sun came out and (any one of the following) brightened everything / brought the beauty

back to everything / the breeze picked up /birds began to chirp

(h) The device used is a metaphor.

82

Question 3 Comprehension

(a) Save human lives and protect wildlife

(b) With special attendance only/invited guests only/restricted attendance.

(c) Motive/reason/motivation for the project/the real purpose is hidden/there was another

purpose/the real reason was to save lives of people and animals/there were other important

issues/there is more to it than people are aware of/there is a truth that people are unaware of

(d) People are sometimes forced to move into unsafe areas/live in the migration path of

wildlife/many people killed by animals

(e) Helps people to relocate; creates corridors which connect parks and resources/protected/works

to prevent the loss of animal and human life

(f) Pathways that provide the animals with protection/pathways the animals can take without being

killed

(g) To draw attention to the fact that people more willingly agreed to relocation away from animal

migration paths/To show satisfaction that Government departments agreed to creating protected

wildlife corridors/to draw attention to the fact that when something bad happens because of a

situation, people are more willing to change.

(h) To show how unlikely it is for the people to survive a conflict with the animals/to show

partiality to the animals/to suggest that the animals have rights to the space/hopes that statistics

will show how important the work of the Wildlife trust is/to create the picture that people’s lives

are in danger and that the animals need their space/to make people realise how dangerous or how

serious the situation really is/to inform of the urgent need for the projects

Award 1 mark for below:

To shock the audience through scientific argument

83

June, 2016

Points for Summary:

Caribbean lifestyle is influenced by a variety of histories and cultures.

Carifesta was visualized as an opportunity to focus on the artistic, creative and cultural

diversity in a single place.

Carifesta is just as effective as cricket in uniting the people but for different reasons.

It was hoped that the region’s artists who migrated would be inspired by the cultural

richness to return.

Carifesta is mounted in different countries at regular intervals but the original plan was to

hold it every two years.

The intervals of Carifesta vary as the region has to cope with economic, physical and other

challenges.

Sample Summary 1:

The Caribbean is an area with people of many different origins, histories, cultures and life styles, a

diversity shown in the multiplicity of art forms. Carifesta is a festival of the creative arts. It was

visualized as another means and opportunity, besides cricket, of bringing this diversity into a

single space so that it could be known and appreciated by the people and help to define a regional

identity. It was hoped through the festival’s richness to influence artists who had moved away

from the region, to return. It was planned to mount the event in different countries at regular

intervals, but the intervals have varied because of physical and economic challenges.

(120 words)

Sample Summary 2:

Caribbean people share a common history and enjoy close proximity but they are culturally

diverse. The cultural festival, Carifesta, unites them as much as cricket does but differently. The

goal of the festival is to showcase Caribbean and South American culture and creativity. It was

conceived of, to highlight the multicultural heritage of the region and to create an environment for

the development of the arts. It also hopes to encourage the return of migrant artists. While the

intention was to make Carifesta a biennial event, this has not materialized because of economic,

environmental and other problems. Nevertheless, the festival has been held several times and has

become a major regional and international event.

(114 words)

84

Question 2

(a) stomach ache/upset stomach/nausea/nervousness/feeling to vomit

(b) He opened the door carefully/he opened the door timidly (cautiously)/he took his time opening

the door slowly to avoid making a sound

(c) - The way the young people danced vs the way the older people danced

- The writhing movement of the young people vs the sedate and calm movements of the older

people.

Candidates MUST state the two aspects

(d) ‘‘He fought down the mounting pangs of nausea’’

(e) faded/became less/became low/softened/decreased/lowered

(f) (i) It -

- emphasizes the character’s disorientation

- allows the readers to share in his discomfort/dizziness

- shows the sensation that the character was feeling

- helps the reader to feel sorry for the character

(ii) Paul pressed his head into the wall./Paul stared at the illuminated message...

(g) Condescension/Pity/Tolerance/Curiosity

(h) (i) puzzlement/uncertainty/hurt/rejection/longing/despondency/isolation

(ii) ‘‘...set him apart’’ / ‘‘...isolated him’’ / ‘‘longed to participate’’ ‘‘...did not invite...’’

85

Question 3

(a) system of compulsory teaching and learning

(b) purpose/aim/goal/reason/intention/focus/mission/outcome

(c) students participate in their own learning; students log on from any location; students log on at

any time 1 mark each

(d) to make meaningful contribution...; discover themselves; change the way they look at the

world/mastering life skills Any three, 1 mark each

(e) Too much emphasis is placed on achieving success; too often one’s place is based on academic

achievement 1 mark each

(f) This is a limited outcome of formal education/this is only one aspect of formal education/that

formal education should seek to satisfy needed qualifications and also provide other benefits (2

marks)

(g) ‘‘to be recognized and valued’’; ‘‘to develop healthy social relationships’’; ‘‘to make

meaningful contributions...society’’ Any two, 1 mark each

(h) To promote education over schooling/to argue for a broader education/to make the point that

formal education can no longer focus only on academic success/formal education should satisfy

the social and emotional needs of the individual and the society/should encourage and equip

individuals to function in society.

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